All That I Am XXFox, Demon, Human, MeXX Redone
by RasenFox
Summary: This story was originaly made by Avatarofrage, but he has quit, so I have decided to take it up again. NarutoxHinata
1. Ikou no Gu

Key: Normal "Speech" _'Thoughts' _**"Demon/Inner Speech" **_**'Demon thoughts'**_

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Chapter 1

Prologue-Ikou no Gu

_Konohakagure no Sato, October 10th, the night Kyuubi no Youko attacked_

The earth trembled as the enormous fox-beast stamped the ground angrily, frustrated at the innumerable number of humans swarming at its feet. It swiped its claw, gouging ditches and rending flesh. It's tails lashed angrily, whenever it tried to move, another swarm would clamor into its way. It glanced up and caught sight of the nearby village. It narrowed its eyes and let out a slow, deep snarl.

"**DIE!!!" **It tensed it's body and ruffled its fur, the warring shinobi at its feet flinched as it gathered it's chakra. It slammed its paw into the ground and let out a violent cry, thousands of fireballs launching from its hide, raining down on the ninja surrounding it. The smell of burnt flesh and scorched earth billowed into the air with the smoke. It arched its back with pleasure as it felt the deaths wash over it, before setting its sights on the village once more.

"Has it really come to this?" A gruff voice asked.

"I'm afraid so" A younger, more upbeat voice replied.

"You don't have to do this, it would be just as easy for me to do this in your stead"

"You've retired, old man. I'm the Hokage now, this is my duty" The younger voice chuckled.

"So there's no changing your mind?"

"Nope"

"I…see". The elder man sighed as his blonde companion turned to leave.

"Relax, after I'm done with ol' fuzz bag out there you can join me for a drink, how's that sound?" The blonde said, his hand on the doorknob.

"I'd like that"

"Your paying" He chuckled before disappearing down the hall.

"Why you cocky little…"

The Yondaime Hokage's smile vanished as soon as the Sandaime was out of earshot. He clicked his fingers, a masked ninja appeared behind him, and matched his pace. He didn't turn around.

"Report" He barked, all mirth gone from his voice.

"Sir, the Kyuubi is currently approximately twenty minutes away from the village, casualties are numbered at over 100 and rising"

"I see, have you located the object?"

"We have" There was a rustling as the masked Nin reached into the confines of his clothes and pulled out what looked like a branding iron, in the shape of a spiral.

"So it is real, good." The Yondaime Hokage nodded, before snatching the object out of the Nin's hands and placing it inside his coat.

"Sir, are you…do you really intend t-"

"Do not question me, I assure you it is only to be used as a last resort"

"Of course, forgive me for my impudence"

"For now, you are dismissed"

"Hai" There was a puff of smoke and the Nin vanished, as though never there.

There was an uproar of cheers as the Yondaime Hokage walked past his men, cries of blessings and thanks washed over him. He didn't hear any of it, all he heard was the deep, steady breathing of the enormous beast before him, barley held in place by thirteen enormous chains.

"All units fall back! Return to the village and ensure everyone is evacuated. You will remain there and ensure no-one does anything foolish. Remain with them unless dismissed by your Hokage, Dismissed!"

"But Hokage-sama, we want to-" A lone ninja called out, but was sharply interrupted.

"As of now, you're in the way, dismissed!!"

"H-Hai, Hokage-sama". There was a chorus of salutes, followed by an enormous cloud of smoke, as the remaining ninja shunshin'd away, intent on performing their leaders orders to the letter. As the Ninja vanished, so did the chains, released, the Kyuubi let out a gleeful cry, only for it to turn into a snarl as he caught sight of the blonde figure before him.

"**One? One! A single, lowly human against me? You will suffer for your impertinence!" **The blonde man deftly leapt out of the way, narrowly missing the tail that had tried to crush him.

"LISTEN KYUUBI, AND LISTEN WELL! NEVER, NEVER UNDERSTIMATE THE POWER OF ONE MAN!!!!" With that, he leapt into battle.

Far away, behind the watchful eyes of the former Hokage, all the people watched in awe. It was hard to tell what was happening from such a distance, all they could see were flashes of blue, and yellow, but they could also see the Kyuubi, and it was plain to anyone there that the attacks were injuring it.

"Yondaime-sama, to be able to fight a monster like that on equal grounds, he truly is Konoha's finest." The jounin were grateful for the light show, if anything else it stopped the cries of the now-orphans begging for their lost parents.

"Hey, Orochimaru, aren't you glad you didn't make Hokage after all eh? If you did that would be you out there" The snake-sannin's white haired teammate said.

"Perhaps it is best to lose on some occasions after all…of course, if I was the one fighting Kyuubi at the moment I doubt I would stand a chance" He replied, Jiraiya couldn't help but notice how his friend seemed to put the emphasis on _'at the moment'._

"Heh, dream on old friend. You and I, we're old news now. But that boy, he's the future, the one who surpassed all of us"

"There is a limit to how much power a human can obtain in a single lifetime, a limit we seem to reach all to quickly…" Jiraiya could have sworn he saw the pale man lick his lips as he said that, with a tongue that seemed just a little too long.

"Oh, isn't that your frog out there?"

"Huh? Oh crap, he summoned Gamabunta. I'm gonna get an earful about this later, lazy toad never did like getting summoned."

Yondaime's mind was racing as he battled with the demon, desperately trying to come up with a solution.

'_I've hit him with just about every technique I know, the only thing that seems to affect him is Rasengan, but I've already hit him with nearly a dozen of them, and he just regenerates wherever I hit I'm already down to about 60, but he still seems to be at full strength, It looks like I have no choice' _He thought grimly. He ducked as the fox made another swipe at him and pulled the artifact out from his coat, gripping it between his teeth he began going through hand seals. The Kyuubi's eyes widened as it recognized the item in his possession.

"**That's!"**

"Shiki Fuujin!" The air went cold as death's avatar materialized behind the blonde.

"**YOU FOOL!"**

The spectators watched in awe as a bright light filled the sky, so bright that none could watch and all averted their eyes.

"Wh-what is that?"

"Wow! This is so cool!"

The light lasted for a full minute before it slowly dimmed.

"D-did he get it?"

"I don't see it anywhere"

"He did it, Hokage-sama killed the Kyuubi!"

"Hooray!!"

"What should we do?"

"Hokage-sama said we where to remain here until we received his orders, it might not be safe to go down yet"

"But the beast is gone, what possible threat could there be?"

"It is gone, but we don't know where, it may come back if his technique failed"

There was a yellow flash and the blonde Hokage appeared in a modest dwelling. As soon as he set foot his hardened features softened, a smile on his face,.

"There you are, you bastard! You're an awful man, leaving your wife to give birth on her own" An angry, female voice cried out.

"Ehehe, sorry. I guess I should have been here instead of saving the village" He said, walking towards the source of the voice.

"Damn right you should have been" He walked into a room to see an attractive, red haired woman, sitting on a bed and cradling a baby in her arms. Her face seemed to glow in the candlelight, accentuating the bags under her eyes.

"Is that…?"

"Yes, his name is Naruto" The Yondaime walked over to his wife slowly and picked up his sleeping son.

"He has your eyes, and your hair, I can only hope he got something from me, the last thing the world needs is another Minato running around the place" She said, softly.

"I'm sure he'll be something…" Minato replied, gazing lovingly at his son.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, only to receive silence in return. He glanced at his wife's limp form, a single tear dripped from his eye.

"It's okay, rest now…". Cradling his newborn son in his arm, he reached into his pouch and drew a single kunai.

"This is the part I hate the most…" He muttered, before bringing the kunai down into his hand. Moving quickly he smeared the blood across the floor, across, and across, into intricate shapes and designs. It took his the whole of two minutes to complete the diagram, his face pale and his breathing ragged. Gently, he placed his son in the centre. As soon as his skin touched the blood the seal began to glow a soft blue.

'_His spiritual energy is strong, that's good' _He reached into his coat and pulled out the artifact, which was now glowing an angry red. He let out a hiss as it scorched his hand, but his grip never faltered. Moving unsteadily towards his son, his words came out choked by the tears streaming down his face.

"F-forgive me, for what I am about to do…I-if you must hate me, sleep well knowing that I will pay for my sin for all eternity" He placed the artifact on his child's naval and quickly flashed through a rapid collection of hand seals, three sets in the time it took to blink

"Ikou no Gu: Inkouku no Hi! Shishou Fuuin! Hakke no Fuuin Shiki!" Blue fire erupted over his entire hand, holding it with his other he pressed it down onto the burning seal, causing it to slowly sink into his son's naval. The seals on the ground erupted into brilliant crimson fire and began to get drawn into a spiral on the small boys stomach. Scared by the unfamiliar pain, the blonde child erupted into a loud cry.

"I-its okay, it'll all be over soon, j-just bear with me". After a short while the fire died down, leaving a spiral shaped seal on the child's naval, surrounded by four symbols. Naruto continued crying, but stopped when his father picked him up. He stared at his father with tear filled eyes and the sight was almost enough to finish the man there and then, but he still had things to be done.

The Sandaime blinked as a yellow flash illuminated his former office.

"You're back, where have you…" He trailed off as he saw the state his successor was in; his face pale and drenched with sweat, a hole going through his clothes like a hand had been plunged through him, his right hand badly burnt and starting to turn blue, and a blonde babe that could be barley a day old nestled fast asleep in his left arm.

"Ehehe, I'm gonna have to...take a raincheck...on that drink" The Yondaime chuckled feebly.

"Is that?""His name is…Uzumaki Naruto, keeper of the…Kyuubi…he's the real hero…today…" He staggered forward and placed the child into his predecessor's arms, before collapsing onto the floor.

"Make sure they…take…good…care…of…him…for…me…old…monkey" He gasped, his body failing on him.

"You…you young, stupid, fool, what about the boys mother?"

"Gone…dead…Kushina…so-ry" His voice drifted away, and his body slumped, the life gone from his eyes. The eerie chill that the Sandaime had felt since the flash of light dissapitated, and the child in his arms began crying.

"For one with such potential, to die so young…I had hoped to never see such a thing again…" He paused and looked at the crying child in his arms.

"Uzumaki Naruto eh? I wonder what will become of you…"

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_Ikou no Gu: Inkouku no Hi (Tool of Power: Engraved Seal of Fire)- an ancient artifact believed to be as old as the bijuu themselves, and passed down from generation to generation. An object regarded by many as a mere legend, it is actually one of fire countries greatest treasures. It seems to have some connection with the Kyuubi no Youko…_

Shishou Fuuin – (Four Image Seal)-one of the two supplementary seals used the bind the Kyuubi to Naruto

_Hakke no Fuuin Shiki –(Eight Divination Signs Seal Style)_-_one of the two supplementary seals used the bind the Kyuubi to Naruto_

_Shiki Fuujin-(Dead Demon Consuming Seal)-a forbidden technique that makes a deal with the Shinigami, to bind souls at the cost of the users_


	2. Remnants of a Fox, A Constant Reminder

Chapter 2

Remnants of a Fox, A Constant Reminder

Konoha, 6 years since Kyuubi's Attack

Alone. It was perhaps the most defining feature of one Uzumaki Naruto. It was as if to even engage him in conversation was a one-way ticket to the afterlife. Adults either pretended he didn't exist, or muttered amongst themselves at how terrible a creature he was.

"Oh look, it's _him_"

"Tch, I don't see why it's still allowed to live"

"After all it did…all the sacrifices, _this _is the best those lives could achieve? We'll all be dead as soon as it's at full strength, why I oughta…"

"Hey! Didn't you hear about the last group to try it? They were all executed!"

"Bah, How can anyone feel safe when the Hokage is wrapped around that…_thing's _little finger."

"_I _think the Hokage just keeps him around to ensure his own power, Y'know. Keep him chained up, and the like, only to unleash him on his enemies"

"And you really think _it_ would just submit itself like that? I tell you, the old man's digging his own grave, keeping that _thing _around"

At first, the young boy hadn't associated the muttered comments to his own plight, reasoning they seemed to be speaking for of an object, perhaps some sort of powerful weapon. But as he grew older, he was forced out onto the streets, learning to fend for himself in a world that seemed bent of indirectly killing him. He learned the value of not being seen, you could go places no-one would let you, hear things that were meant to be secret, and gave him a head start if he didn't want to spend half his monthly sixpence on a days worth of food. He also noticed that no-one seemed to really talk about this 'weapon' until they caught sight of him, or was indirectly mentioned in some way, and when they did, they occasionally snuck glances in his direction, as if to make sure he was still there. Eventually, it lead him to the conclusion that _he _was the strange and dangerous _'thing' _they all talked about, but that just didn't add up in his juvenile mind. Ojii-san, or Hokage as everyone seemed to call him, was a kind, old man who would look out for the young blonde, he hardly kept him on a leash, as Naruto could go for weeks without seeing his benefactor. And how could he destroy the old mans enemies? He certainly wasn't strong, the beatings he received whenever he picked a fight with one of the other kids was proof of that. He certainly wasn't anyone important; otherwise people would respect him, and call him –Sama, like those people with the weird eyes, or the old man.

So like anyone in his situation, he ignored what he didn't understand and tried to make friends his own age. Unfortunately for him, these ventures normally ended up with either angry parent's taking their children away from the 'monster', or else him being set up for some cruel trick, like the time he ended up trapped in the Akamichi storehouse, although It was some of the best food he'd ever eaten, it took him almost an hour of running to escape the enraged clansmen once he was discovered.

So as a result, Uzumaki Naruto was alone. The only person he could call _friend _was normally unable to spent time with him due to 'important Hokage business', he wasn't sure what that meant, but the way the secretary said it sounded awfully scary.

Left to his own devices, it was up to himself to find food, and entertainment, and if you call running from angry shopkeepers fun then the two usually coincided.

When not in search of food, he usually spend his days exploring Konoha, which usually cumulated with him winding up atop the Hokage monument, sitting in his favorite spot atop the Yondaime Hokage's head. He wasn't sure exactly why he preferred the fourth's head, all he knew was that, come sunset, it would look as though the entire city were washed aflame, making it appear all the more beautiful to him.

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At the present time, he was preparing to make one last round of the village when he heard a noise.

Keeee-Thwack!

"AIYP!"

_Keeee-Thwack! _He quickly followed the noise, and was stunned by what he saw; A middle-aged man, striking a young fox with a switch. With each strike the fox let out a yelp of pain, whenever it tried to get away the man struck it again, knocking it to the ground with the force of his blows. A quick glance revealed that the man was without injury, it was obvious to the young pariah's mind; this was in no ways justified.

"Hey! You!" He shouted, his voice filled with anger.

"Wha? You!" The man said coldly, narrowing his eyes at the sight of the child.

"Figures you'd turn up, what's wrong? Don't like to see your own kind in pain?" the man chided, flexing his wrist as he prepared to strike the fox again. Ignoring the man's comment, Naruto took a step forward.

"That fox has done nothing to you, nothing! What did he ever do to deserve for this?"

"What about my friends? My comrades? Did they deserve what you did to them?" The man countered, his voice filled with pain and anger. Naruto was taken aback by the comment.

"I-I never did anything to your friends!"

"SHUT UP!" the man's shout was accompanied by another thwack upon the fox's side. Naruto glanced at the young kit; he doubted it would be able to take any more hits like that. His body tensed.

Keeee-Thwack! A trail of blood spattered across the ground as the switch made contact, it hurt worse than anything he had felt before but the only sound he let out was a soft hiss of pain. The man looked in surprise at the quivering boy beneath him, a large, red welt across his back; the fox kit huddled safely beneath him.

"You…" The man started to speak but gasped at what he saw; the wound across the boy's back was already healing, wisps of steam wafted into the air as the wound closed in on itself.

"You…you MONSTER!" _Thwack!_ "YOUR'E NOT HUMAN" _Thwack! _"YOUR JUST A GODDAMN DEMON!" _Thwack! Thwack!_ The mans eyes were glazed over with a bestial rage as he bet down on the boy before him. Naruto sobbed quietly, trying to hold back the tears, it always made people really angry with him when he cried, calling him a fake, a freak, inhuman. He didn't even want to think about what the man would do if he saw him cry, it was too much to bear.

The man's lashing lasted for a full five minutes before his anger started to run dry. He looked down at the sobbing bloody mass at his feet and spat on him. Still blinded by anger, he hadn't noticed that the boy's wounds weren't healing anymore. He kicked him once, and started to walk away, hoping someone else came along and finished the job for him. He didn't know why he didn't just kill the boy himself, but perhaps something inside him simply wouldn't allow him to kill a helpless child, even if it was a demon.

When he was sure the man had gone, Naruto shakily rose to his feet, wincing as his wounds were exposed to the cool evening air. Kneeling down he picked up the limp form of the fox, and started heading towards the tree line, hoping it was close to where the fox-kit lived.

"I-it'll be alright…d-don't worry, y-you'll be alright" he whispered, perhaps more for his own sake than the fox's.

It was a slow, and arduous journey, prolonged by how frequently the determined youth's legs gave out on him, but he still didn't cry out,

'_I-I will keep going, I __**swear **__on it, I must…get…him…home…' _He looked up just in time to stop himself from walking into a tree.

'_I…I made it' _Despite the pain in his body, he felt happy; he had kept his promise. He gently lowered the fox to the ground; disturbed by the movement it started to stir. An immense feeling of relieve washed through the young blonde, collapsing to the ground, he relinquished the tight reign held over his eyes. His vision clouded, and the world turned red, pain flowing through his face, through his eyes. His tears made no sound as they fell freely from his face, dripping past his whiskers. It was always this way when he cried, he had never cried a genuine tear in his life; only blood, always blood, always the same pain as his body did something it was never supposed to. Before he slipped into unconsciousness he felt something touch his face, he couldn't see what it was but he could smell it; the fox was licking the tears from his face, seemingly to comfort him. He offered a weak smile, despite being blinded by his curse, before falling still, his breath coming slowly.

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He saw red, smelt…something, hear something…no _two_ something's breathing, and he felt it; warmth, an incredible warmth that seemed to reach deep into him, stroking him, soothing him. He wagged his tail with content.


	3. Something Precious

Chapter 3

Something Precious

Stillness, that was the first thing Naruto noticed as he regained consciousness, the overwhelming stillness in the air, as if to even breath would cause undue calamity. One of the few things that Uzumaki Naruto truly hated, when it all went quiet…he could hear _It…_

"Ah, Naruto, your awake, I'm glad". The voice belonged to an elderly man seated beside the child's bed. He opened his eyes slowly and was greeted by the sight of the Sandaime Hokage. Taking a quick glance at his surroundings, he saw that he was back inside his meager apartment. He had been living there ever since the fourth attempt on his life at the orphanage, before the civilian population had realized the Hokage was on the side of the _demon. _

"Ojii-san? What are you doing here-ttebayo?" He mumbled, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He glanced at his hands and noticed the flakes of caked blood from his eyes. He slumped somewhat as the memory of the previous nights events returned to him, before immediately sitting up.

"Were is he? Is he safe?" His eyes darting back and forth, searching,

"Is who safe?"

"Kitsune-san! There was a fox with me, is he okay?" He turned to look at the Hokage with pleading eyes.

"There was a fox near where we found you, but it snarled and ran away when I went near it"

"He…ran away?"

"Yes, why?"

'_But…wasn't he to hurt to move?'_ He shook his head from side to side, as if to fling away his confusion.

"Nah, it's nothing" _'I hope he's alright'_

"Are you feeling alright?" The elderly shinobi asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine-ttebayo. Never felt better" The blonde answered, offering a weak grin.

"That's good to hear".

"Hehe, you won't be able to hear for much longer, Ojii-san" He laughed; the Hokage just smiled, and rustled his hair affectionately.

"Well when that happens, I suppose you'll just have to shout extra-loud to make up for it won't you?"

"Hehe, sure thing Ojii-san" He replied, grinning. The Sandaime's features darkened slightly

'_He's using that smile again, no. It's more like…a mask, for one so young to conceal his emotions…if I didn't know him so well I'd probably be fooled as well'_

"Naruto, something's troubling you, isn't it" He looked up in surprise, before shifting into mild depression.

"I…it happened again…I cried…"

"There's nothing wrong with-"

"Blood"

"Excuse me?"

"I cried blood…same as always…Wh-what's wrong with me? Is that why everyone hates me?" He paused to look down at his hands.

"Am I…even human? Am I…a monster?" He asked softly, his head dipped in shame. The Sandaime looked at him sympathetically.

'_I had heard rumors that he used to shed tears of blood; I had just assumed they were mere exaggerations. Is it a birth defect or…'_

"I just want the tears to stop…"

"Naruto, you were right to hide your tears from others…" The Sandaime began, upon hearing that, Naruto lowered his head further.

"Your tears…should not be wasted so carelessly." Naruto looked up at him with confused, bloodshot eyes.

"Only humans can cry, that you cry is proof of your humanity. Blood is our essence, our life force. When you shed your tears of blood, you are offering a portion of your own life force. That is, perhaps, the greatest gift you can offer someone, your most precious possession. To be offered only to those you love from the bottom of your heart. Do not waste your precious tears on the unworthy."

"O-Ojii-san-bayo" He began, he could feel it coming; he knew it was coming, and yet, for the first time in his life, he made no attempt to stop it.

"Ojii-san!" He threw himself at the old man, hugging him fiercely. Sobbing softly, he let it all out, all the love, and respect, and gratitude he felt for the old man flowed out of him, out of his eyes, out of his heart. An offering to the only person he could consider his family. The Hokage, for his part, showed no discomfort over the crimson liquid spilling out, over his chest. Instead opting to hold the boy close to his chest, accepting the show of emotion. The pain was still there for Naruto, but…he felt he could bear it, if just for a little while.

As Naruto's tears started to dry up, the Sandaime glanced over at the calendar by Naruto's bed, more specifically, the date on it.

'_October 10th…it's his birthday…any other child would be receiving presents and blessings on this day…I wonder'_

"Naruto, tell me, what is it that you want most in the whole world?" The blonde boy looked up at the Hokage, confusion n his face as he thought about the question.

"I want…I want to bee seen."

"Seen?" The Sandaime asked, caught off guard by the strange reply

"I want to be seen…as the best thing that ever happened to the village, instead of the worst, I want to see to it that no-one has to be sad, or alone. I want to be able to protect people who can't protect themselves…"

'_I was expecting him to ask for a toy, or a pet…I'm not sure I will be able to give him that as a present…unless…'_

"Tell me Naruto, what do you know about Ninja?"

"Ninja? Um…aren't they those guys who…um…do stuff?"

"Ninja, are people who risk their lives for the sake of their village, and their country, to provide money and security, ward off enemies and keep the peace. Guardians of their homelands…"

"Whoa…are you a ninja?"

"I am indeed, one of the best actually. I am one with the title of 'Hokage', someone revered and respected as the strongest ninja in the village. It is my job to protect the village, and everyone within it, and lead it to prosperity."

"You sure, Ojii-san…you don't look that strong"

"Hehe, I may be an old man, but I can still show any of these young whippersnappers a thing or two"

"Ano-sa, ano-sa, I've decided then; I want to become a ninja! And then, and then, I'll take the title of Hokage away from you, Ojii-san. Then everyone will be glad I came along! Dattebayo!" The blonde Jinchuuriki beamed, his earlier melancholy all but forgotten.

"Hahaha, I don't doubt that you will"

'_Uzumaki Naruto, I'll see to it you become a great ninja. And those fools on the council can't stop me'_

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	4. Legends in the Making…Kinda

Chapter Four

Legends in the Making…Kinda

Four months had passed since Naruto had decided to become a ninja. A decision that the Sandaime Hokage had supported in full. It had taken a lot of effort, and a small portion of his blackmail material, but he had managed to get Uzumaki Naruto on the roster for enrolling students. In the mean time, he had been helping Naruto touch up on his reading and writing, skills that he was sorely lacking, knowing barley enough to get by. A problem the Sarutobi elder had been working to remedy; he had managed to complete the boys lacking alphabet, but had so far failed to teach him more than a few basic kanji. As his time was limited, he had encouraged the boy to study kanji by his own motivation, but that's a story for another time, for today was the first day for new applicants at the Konoha Ninja Academy.

Of course, he was nervous, but he reassured himself that so were the other students. This hope was killed off from the moment he stepped into his designated classroom. Either most of the students had known one another before enrolment, or Konoha children were just abnormally adept at socializing. He wasn't sure which.

Feeling self-conscious, Naruto slipped by unnoticed, and made his way to an available desk, about halfway towards the back.

'_Everyone seems kinda busy at the moment…if I try and force my way into their conversations they'll just hold it against me…wait a minute, I know her…' _He glanced at the unmistakable mop of pink hair that had just entered the classroom.

'_I remember seeing her playing in the park a couple of times, she was always hanging around with…' _He was interrupted from his musings when the pink-haired girl caught sight of a blonde girl around her own age. Naruto shivered slightly, as he felt the tension in the air grow thick with their silent confrontation, and then it passed. The pink haired girl 'hmph'd' and looked away, before making her way over to a dark haired boy sitting in the corner. The boy had a small gathering of girls around him, all asking him various personal questions. The boy, for his part, was doing his best to politely decline their offers and invitations, while resisting the urge to run away screaming in terror.

'_ookaay…I think…he has something…and all those girls seem to want it…I wish I had whatever it was…then again, if I had it the girls would probably just take it from me…' _Glancing around the room, he picked up on the subtle sound of someone snoring, looking towards it's source, he saw a rather lanky looking boy, with dark hair tied up in a funny looking pony-tail. He was fast asleep, facedown on the desk. A slight trickle of drool trailed down from the snoozing boy's mouth.

'_And HE wants to be a ninja? What's he going to do? Drool on the secret documents in case the enemy gets hold of them?' _He sniggered to himself. He started to go over the other students in the room, when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He started sweating profusely, he could feel it, a presence of immeasurable evil…

"Arf"

"WAAAAAAAAH!!" He leapt a good four-foot off the ground, before landing roughly on his feet, which promptly gave way beneath him, leaving him sprawling on his butt.

"Ahahahahaha! Hey, Akamaru, get a load of this loser" Naruto looked up to see a boy, with red marks on his face, and a white dog perched on his head. He could feel his skin crawl as he laid eyes on the pup.

"B-bah! I was startled, that's all, stupid dogs, go back to your kennel!" He yelled, trying to ward off the humiliation his display had brought him.

'_Great, now everyone probably thinks I'm a coward. Stupid dogs' _He'd never received much love from those of the canine genus, most dogs would snap and bark at him the moment he got near them, some even going so far as to attack him, leaving him with a mild fear of dogs, and an uncanny ability to tell when one came near him.

"Oh yeah? Akamaru-"

"Rrrr-arf" The dog barked somewhat threateningly at the blonde trying to pick himself up before him. Naruto stiffened as he heard the bark, but continued to rise, none-the-less.

'_Trying to make a fool out of me…' _Once he was standing, he locked eyes with the boy, opting to ignore the pup all together. Sensing a fight about to start, the other students moved out of the way…

_Shwee-Thump _Umino Iruka was slightly pissed at the sight greeting him as he walked into his classroom. He'd already been anxious upon discovering the demon brat had been assigned to his class, but he'd been reassured by the Hokage that the boy was nothing to fear. Now, he sees the very boy engaged in a staring contest with the Inuzuka boy. The slight twitching of their knuckles was more than enough to tell him that, if he didn't interfere, that they would be quick to come to blows, and he really didn't want to know just what the demon-brat was capable of, so interfere he did. He reached into the pouch on his hip and drew out his current weapon of choice; with a flick of his wrists he launched two projectiles at the wayward students.

_Thunk!_

The growing tension quickly dissipated as the boys were struck in the head by chalk. All heads instantly snapped towards the newcomer, many taking note of his flak jacket, and forehead protector.

"If you two want to fight, save it for sparring, this is my class, and my rules! Understand?" Those present could've sworn as he shouted that last part, the Chuunin's head had more than tripled in size, yet when they looked again, it was perfectly normal. The two warring children nodded dumbly, put off by the strange and slightly intimidating shinobi.

"Now that has been taken care of, if you would all take a seat, we can begin the introductions." There was a brief scrabbling of feat as those not already seated dashed towards the nearest chair.

"Good, now then, my name is Umino Iruka. You shall call me Iruka-sensei. And it is my job to instill into each and every one of you, the knowledge, skill, and ability needed for any accomplished ninja. Now then, any questions?"

As Iruka answered the forthcoming barrage of questions, Naruto could have sworn he felt someone's gaze on the back of his head. He glanced behind him, but apart from a muffled 'eep' couldn't see anything to indicate who was watching him.

'_I'm one step closer to my dream…' _He thought _'Maybe this won't be so bad after all…' _

"You! Naruto, was it? What did I just say?" His new sensei demanded, looking at him menacingly. His eyes snapped forward and he tried not to sweat.

'_Think quick, think quick, universal answer, universal answer…'_

"Being a ninja's hard work". He said, absent-mindedly scratching his whisker-marks in an attempt to hide his uncertainty. Iruka raised an eyebrow but seemed to buy it.

"Not quite how I put it, but fair enough"

'_Phew' _He let out a sigh and relaxed his posture slightly and listening as the shinobi explained the various duties they would be expected to perform upon graduation.

'That reminds me, I'm almost out of food…'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	5. Baptism In Fire

Chapter Five

Baptism In Fire

Uzumaki Naruto had relatively enjoyed his first day at the academy, he had had little success at making friends per say, as most of the students recognized him from their parents warnings and steered clear of them. So to entertain himself he had listened in on the other students conversations during their lunch-break, either hiding up a tree, or behind a rock. He found it quite fascinating, how much you could learn about someone from a single conversation. He'd learnt that 'drool-face', as he'd dubbed him in his mind, was named Nara Shikamaru, had a strange fascination with clouds, and was scared of his mother. The Nara boy was also friends with a large boy named Akamichi Chouji, whom he'd instantly dubbed 'fat-ass' in his head, however reconsidered when he had to change hiding places after narrowly avoiding a would-be fatal plastic fork, moments after thinking those words. After assuring that the boy had not, in fact, seen his hiding place, he'd been forced to make a startling conclusion;

'_That boy…has crazy mind powers!' _faux telepathy aside, he learned that Chouji was a submissive sort, who preferred to avoid open confrontation, but wasn't afraid to stand up for his friends.

He learned about Yamanaka Ino, whose parents owned a flower shop, and the bizarre relationship she had with Haruno Sakura, the pink haired girl from before. He learned very little reliable information about Uchiha Sasuke, that dark haired boy that seemed to infatuate 2/3rds of the girls in the class. Sure, he'd heard plenty, but most of it seemed to revolve around his preferences in the opposite gender, food, and hobbies, and he seriously doubted there was a single person in the world who had a thing for albino, longhaired, red-headed sumo-wrestlers, or at least, if there was, it wasn't the Uchiha.

He'd also heard some dark rumors about one Aburame Shino, a passive boy who hid his features, and rarely spoke. They said that he spoke to insects, that he wasn't human, and that if you listened carefully, you could hear the sound of insects buzzing from within him. Of course, being no stranger to such treatment he paid these accusations little heed. He couldn't help but be disheartened by what they said of himself, however; most of them repeating what their parents had told them, that he was a menace, someone to be avoided. The scene with Inuzuka Kiba, the 'dumb mutt', had done little in the ways of bolstering his reputation. Those who witnessed it now saw him as a coward, who spoke big, but did little in the ways of backing them up, something that he intended to remedy.

Their sensei seemed nice enough, after briefly explaining what they would be learning during their first year, he had let them go home early, as he felt they would be too excitable to be taught anything on their first day.

"But don't go thinking I will be this easy on you tomorrow, so get a good nights sleep. I want to see you wide-eyed and bushy-tailed come morning, you hear me?" The Chuunin instructor said, jollily.

XXX

As the students filed out from the academy grounds, Naruto couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart; watching the other students approach their parents and guardians, gushing with tales of the days experience. He longed to have someone that he could approach like that, just walk up to them and tell all that was on his mind, to…

'_No' _He shook his head as though to dispel his lamentations. _'Wasting time over nothing will get you nothing' _It was something the Sandaime Hokage had said to him once, when he was complaining that he was running out of food. Although at the time, the Sandaime had meant that he should just get up and find some food, some part of the young blonde had seen wisdom in those words. Nothing will amount of nothing, and nothing will come to those who do nothing. Of course, he didn't have the understanding to put it into those words, but what he did know was if that if he wanted something to happen, he had to make it happen.

He tore his jealous eyes away from the heart-warming reunions, and began walking away. Heading off into the direction of his local marketplace.

XXX

The blonde Jinchuuriki made little movement as he eyed his target. His position concealed by a conveniently placed barrel of apples. But apples didn't fill, and went bad far too quickly, he needed something filling, something lasting…

'_Twelve seconds from when he greets the next customer, to when he looks ahead again. Seven seconds for me to get within striking range, leaves five seconds to make my move and get out…next customer in 3…2…1…now!' _As the shopkeeper's head turned, intent on giving the newcomer a warm welcome, Naruto shot out from his hiding place, burlap sack in toe. Avoiding several stands, he ran right up to his goal; a large sack of brown rice. He pulled a penknife out from his pocket and slashed across the length of the bag, before pulling open his own sack, catching the rice as it fell. He waited for about three seconds, before running off again, the shopkeeper's angry shouts behind him. Flipping his spoils over his shoulder, he ran straight towards the alley opposite the grocer's store, knocking over several small mountains of produce in the process. Glancing behind him, he saw the shopkeeper tripping up on the spilled fruit, landing hard on his back. The juvenile thief grinned as the sound of curses filled the air. He zigzagged through the alleyways for several minutes before stopping to rest. He quickly glanced around to ensure he wasn't followed, before letting out a laugh and heading for his apartment.

XXX

Once he was safely inside the protection of his flat, he relaxed, grinning from ear to ear. That particular store was one of his favorites to target, as the shopkeeper was in very poor shape, his limbs short and stocky, and he had more than once overcharged not only Naruto, but also anyone else who he perceived as an easy target, as such Naruto felt he was fully justified in his five-fingered discount.

He took the sack into his kitchen and laid it out on the counter. He had made a good choice in going for the rice, he had managed to obtain enough to last him almost a month, if he ate sparingly, and it would keep for even longer if he happened to score some other ingredients. Standing on a stool, he reached into his cupboard and pulled out a cheap, dented pan. Climbing onto the counter, he walked over to the sink and filled it with water, before taking to his downtrodden stove. He turned the stove on, but nothing happened, furrowing his brow in annoyance, he hit the dial with his fist; causing the stovetop to erupt into a modest flame. Nodding once, he walked back over to the cupboard and pulled out a glass, walked over to the rice, and scooped it in. Walking slowly, as not to overbalance, he brought the rice over to his stove and tipped it into the pan. It was a meager meal at best, and he had nothing to go with it, but he had lived of less before, so the bland, tacky rice was quite the bonus to him. Once the rice had boiled, he carefully strained it into the sink, and scooped it out into a bowl, leaving the pan to sit until he got around to doing the dishes. He reached up into the short sleeves of his shirt and pulled out his most prized possession, an ornate pair of decorative chopsticks the Sandaime had given him one day. In reality, chopsticks of its kind were mass-produced, and could be bought in packs of twelve, but Naruto didn't care, they were the only chopsticks he'd ever need.

"Itadakimasu!" He said proudly, before digging into his meal, intent on devouring every-last grain within. In less than a minute he had emptied the bowl. Wiping the chopsticks on his shirt, he replaced them inside his sleeves, before taking his bowl to the sink. Picking up a nearby washrag, which had once been a shirt, he filled the sink up with water, and began scrubbing. He gave the bowl a quick rinse and wipe over, before moving onto the pan. Pressing his through the cloth in order to scrape of any stubborn grains that had affixed themselves to the base. After doing the dishes, he retired into his room for the evening.

Unlike the rest of his living quarters, his room was the only one that he had actually left a mark on; there was a poster of the Konoha leaf at the head of his bed, a map of Fire country on the opposite wall, a calendar across from that, and all across the floor lay discarded scrolls. Some containing training methods he had been practicing, in preparation for his life as a ninja, some containing the fruits of his Kanji practice, and others were just tales, and old legends, depicting various figures throughout history, something the Sandaime had insisted Naruto read about, perhaps having anticipated the boy's delinquent school tendencies beforehand. Naruto glanced around the room, weighing his options before deciding to practice his kanji. Picking up a blank scroll, and an inkwell pen, he set to work.

XXXX

A full moon hung high overhead as Naruto slept, casting an eerie glow over his features as it shone through the window, his chest slowly rose and fell with each breath, a thin blanket loosely draped over his sleeping form, lying on a futon barley an inch off the floor. There was a crash, and red glow suddenly fell over him, causing his eyes to flutter open.

Smoke, smoke and heat; they were the first thing he noticed as he regained consciousness.

'_Fire!' _He shot up as realization dawned, adrenaline already pumping into his system. Looking around frantically, he saw the source of the fire; shards of glass lay around the floor,

'_A bottle' _He realized, around the shattered bottle, seemingly random parts of the floor were burning, forming an almost splash-like formation.

**_'They tried to kill you'_** His body shook as the voice spoke to him, it was a voice that had been present for as long as he remembered, always telling him things he didn't want to know, telling him to fight back against the villagers oppression, to take revenge. It would scorn him if he didn't listen, and grew louder as he ignored it. But as long as there was noise, he could shut it out entirely, even I the noise was just his own mind, so he always heard noise, and never listened. But there was no noise now, and all he could do is listen.

**_'They probably heard about you joining the academy, they got scared, they're afraid of you growing more powerful'_** The voice was smooth, like a feather running across silk, it spoke in a soft whisper, as if speaking to a lover, and he listened closely…it almost sounded like his own.

"Wh-why? Why would they be scared of me?" Naruto whispered, he was dimly aware of the flames growing taller, flaring as they found his stockpile of ink.

**'**_**Because…'** _As his scrolls burst into flames, thick, black smoke billowed into the air, making it impossible to see. Naruto came to a terrible conclusion.'I can't escape'**_'As far as they're concerned…'_**'There's fire on all sides'**_'You are nothing…'_**'I…I'm really going to…'**_'But an Inhumane Monster!_'**'I-I don't…'**_'Bakemono!'_**'I don't wanna…'**_'Akuma!'_**'I not gonna…'**_'Oni!'_**

"I…will not…" He could feel the flames licking at his face, almost caressing it. Pain and fear and hate all flowed through his body, uniting under a single desire.

"I…will not **DIE!!!!"** His proclamation rang out into the night, chilling the hearts of all who heard it. Crimson red chakra began trickling out from his body, enveloping it. Starting from the base of his spine, it wrapped itself around his body, almost like a second skin. He could feel nothing but fury, and contempt, he wanted to kill, to taste blood, to feast on the flesh of his enemies. He strode through the flames, feeling not lancing pain, but instead an almost pleasant heat as it touched him through the shroud of chakra, scorching off his clothes in the process, revealing the seal on his stomach, which was glowing an angry red.

He sniffed the air once, before breaking into a run, barreling through doors and obstacles, before tearing through a damaged wall, exposing him to the outside world.

He made quite a fearsome sight; a child, no older than six years old, standing naked in front of a burning building. His eyes red and angry, claws adorning his hands and feat, thick, black whisker marks on his cheeks and a shining red spiral on his naval. Looking around, he saw the one responsible for the attack; it was the grocer who's rice he had stolen. He was holding a torch in one hand and a lit Molotov cocktail in the other; his eyes trembled with a mixture of fear and hatred at the burning specter before him.

"D-d-DIE DEMON!" The man screamed and made to hurl the home-made explosive, but just as he let go, the fuse ran out,

BOOM!

"AAAAARGH!!" The man was knocked to the ground, clutching the bloody stump were his arm once was, his entire right side torn open by the explosion.

_**'Leave him, it's all that he deserves'** _Naruto made no response, instead paralyzed, staring at the man as he slowly bled to death, cursing the demon-child with his last breaths. The crimson chakra vanished, and suddenly Naruto felt extremely cold.

"A-a-a-AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!" He let out a blood-curdling scream and broke into a run, desperate to get as far away from the dying man as he could, all his earlier rage and fearlessness vanished.

He ran for what seemed like hours, gibbering hysterically and hyperventilating. All he could see was the broken and bleeding man, blood everywhere. Hear nothing but death screams, and dying voices. After what seemed like an eternity, he collapsed onto his knees, and threw up, his earlier meal of rice spilling out onto the ground before him. His breaths came to him short and sharp, his eyes wild and unfocused. As he sat there, slowly, he became aware of his surroundings; he was back the edge of the forest, the same one where…

"Yip" Looking towards the source of the sound he saw a small, red fox, the same one he'd rescued some months earlier. The fox barked, before turning around, heading back into the forest.

"No, wait! Don't leave me!" Scrabbling to his feet, he chased after the fox, traveling deeper into the forest. It seemed like no matter how fast he ran, the fox was always only just within his vision. Ignoring the pain in his limbs, he pressed harder, narrowly avoiding the many trees in his path. After a good five minutes, the fox suddenly stopped. As Naruto skidded to a halt, he noticed the fox was looking at something. Turning to see for himself, he realized what the fox had let him to; its den. Naruto could see that it had been a while since the fox had moved out, but he still felt gratitude for the act.

"I-is that…for me?" He asked, tentatively. The fox yipped and ran towards it, before running towards Naruto. He got the message,

"This is for you"

"A-arigato-gozaimsu" He replied. He walked over to it and crawled inside, it had been made in the base of a hollow tree, and had been expanded a small distance underground, and the 'floor' had been covered with leave litter. It had little room to move, but he felt sure he could make it larger in time. He opened his mouth to say something, but was suddenly overcome by the day's events. Mumbling a goodnight, he fell into a deep slumber.

_XXXXXXXX_

When he awoke, he found himself in a dark, dank sewer, the ground was wet and the air was thick and humid. Before his was a giant cage, built into the wall. He could see a pair of red, malevolent eyes, and a large, toothy grin. It reminded him of the fox-kit.

**"So, it seems it is finally time for us to meet. Welcome, Kit"**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	6. Christened by Moonlight

Chapter 6

Christened by Moonlight

Before his was a giant cage, built into the wall. He could see a pair of red, malevolent eyes, and a large, toothy grin. It reminded him of the fox-kit.

"**So, it seems it is finally time for us to meet. Welcome, Kit"** He was stunned, mesmerized by those eyes…those eyes…it was like staring directly into a vortex of chaos, and destruction…like merely blinking would require infinitely more energy than needed to end the world. It wasn't just the eyes, the teeth; they looked finite but if he tried to count them it was like there was no end to them, the voice; it was deep and rumbling, sounding more like a force of nature than any mere being. The very air itself; it was like bathing in liquid fire, to even move would be tempting certain death. It exited him. His tail flicked once, almost tauntingly.

'_Wait, tail?' _He looked behind him, and saw than; indeed he did have a tail; a red bushy one that was almost as long as he was. He blinked and suddenly it was gone. He tried to grasp his mind around the occurrence, but instead found himself drawn back towards the cage. He shuddered with pleasure as he immersed himself in the aura emitting from it.

"**KukukuhahaHAHAHA, he not only withstands my power, he revels in it. I could not have hoped for a better kit. Come closer, so that I might look at you"** Wordlessly, Naruto approached the cage. Nothing else seemed important to him now, so long as he could continue to experience this _feeling_.

As he moved closer to the iron bars the face seemed to shrink away from him, he was about to break into a run when he realized; the face wasn't moving away from him, it was getting smaller. As he drew near, the swirling red mass surrounding the shrinking face, compressing in on itself, before forming into a shape. Legs, arms, head, in the time it took him to walk right up to the cage there was an adult human standing on the other side. The first thing Naruto noticed was his height, the man was a good 6'5'', he had to kneel on one knee to look Naruto in the eye…those eyes…the same red orbs of untold blood and fury. On either side of the mans cheeks were a total of six whisker marks, almost identical to the blonde child's, however these were much thicker, much darker, and much longer, stretching from the edge of his nose to his jaw, just below the ear. The pointed tips of his ears emerged just barley, from beneath Mounds of unkempt, wild red hair lay fell about atop his head, stretching down the sides of his face, and down his neck, ending somewhere around his waist, around his cheeks, strands were entwined into thin braids with what appeared to be leather. He wore a soft, red, ornate man's kimono, gilded with gold and tied with a black obi. From somewhere with his Kimono emerged nine glorious, red tails, that seemed to sway and twitch of their own accord.

The man stared into Naruto's cerulean eyes with his own crimson. He reached out through the bars with a clawed hand and stroked his finger along one of the boy's whiskers, eliciting a shudder and an approving, almost purr-like growl.

"**Responsive…Heh, if things weren't the way they were I'd have to have a bit of fun with you…" **Naruto's eyes widened at this revelation, but the claw idly stroking his cheek prevented him from mustering the will to protest.

"…**in a few years time of course, still I'm sure I could find some other means of…entertainment" **The man withdrew his claw and gave it a playful lick, causing the blonde boy before him to whimper and gulp in anxiety.

"**But enough fun talk, I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Kurui Tsuku, however most know of me…as Kyuubi no Youko…Hajimemashite." **

"U-Uzumaki Naruto…Hajimemashite" He replied, still completely mesmerized. When he failed to withdraw in repulsion, Tsuku's grin spread even further, revealing his pearly white fangs. His tails swished behind him excitedly.

"**A child of whirlpool? And there I thought them all gone…allow me to take a look" **Without waiting for a reply he thrust him hand through the bars, and directly into Naruto's head. He let out a brief gasp at the intrusion, only to fall silent, his eyes half-lidded and unseeing.

"**I see…they never told him…oh, but such hatred, that he is still so pure is a miracle…ah, it is still here, bottled up…could be a blessing or a curse…an orphan? A self-raised kit…he has strength of character, and good instinct, he has the skill, all he needs is the technique" **Tsuku withdrew his hand, and placed it over the boy's eyes. **"Now, I'm sure you have many questions for me, speak"**

"Where am I?" He asked, his voice quavering slightly.

"**We are…in you, I am sealed inside your body, and your soul is in immediate contact with mine" **The young blondes brow furrowed as he tried to grasp the concept.

"Why…does everyone hate me"

"**They blame you for my actions, as you know, I attacked the village several years ago, their leader paid with his life to seal me away inside of you. They believe you are me, and fear for when 'my' power returns"**

"…why…why do I…why do I cry blood?" Upon hearing this, Tsuku's eyes snapped open.

"**Cry…blood…AHA! You truly are too pure. You see, kit, I am a demon. And from the moment I was sealed in you…no, from the moment my soul was tethered to yours, you became a demon as well, from that moment onward, and that moment back. You are as much a demon-fox as I am.**"

"So…I really am a monster?"

"**Bah, stupid ningen. You may be Kitsune, you may be a demon, but you are still a human. Your tears are prove of that, demons do not…can not cry, yet you can, you endure pain to share your emotions with others. Your Hokage was not wrong when he described them as 'your most precious gift', "**

"I-I see…ano…why…why…why did you" He found it difficult to piece the words together, just looking into the Kyuubi's eyes was more than enough to tell him that there was no reason…but still…he had to know…

"Why did you attack Konoha?" He blurted, before covering his mouth immediately after.

"**Oh? I'm surprised you asked. Very well then, I was searching for my…sister, I suppose you could call her. She had…angered me, and I sought revenge. In hindsight, I realize that I had, in a way, already punished her immediately after she angered me, but I did not realize all she had done at the time…and felt she should pay for the additional crime against me. I learned she was in the village, and sought to draw her out. I did not foresee such…drastic consequences"**

"So…your sister did…two things to you, you punished him for one, but didn't realise he did the other…and you wanted to punish him again since you thought he deserved it" The blonde said, his eyes scrunched shut in concentration.

"**Something like that…yes**

"Ano…Tsuku-sama?" Although he rarely dispersed such respect normally, the young fox-boy felt that, when facing an entity who threatened to destroy a whole village over a sibling feud, it was somewhat appropriate.

"**Yes, Kit?"**

"Err…what…happens now?"

"**Kukuku, impatient one, aren't we. You have been banished from your home, correct?"**

"Err…I was…kinda…I doubt the landlady will let me back in…I hope she's alright"

"**You are concerned over the well being of someone who hated you?"**

"Well, not like hating her will get me anything, if I went around laughing at everyone who had something bad happen to them, wouldn't that make me as bad as them?"

"**What about yourself? You bend to their will, you appear weak, they do it more, and you suffer always. Would it not be better to make them suffer?" **Naruto frowned.

"That's why I'm becoming a ninja, and then, I'll become Hokage! They'll regret treating me bad then!"

"**Ahahaha!, You're a live one aren't you. Your revenge will consist entirely of guilt and fear on their part, yet you act as nothing but a beneficial force free of blame. You truly are either too pure, or too conniving. So be it, Kit. You will become powerful, what you do with that power I am sworn not to interfere." **Tsuku withdrew his hand and stepped back. Before Naruto could protest, he resumed his fox form. The blonde opened his mouth to say something, but instead uttered a guttural growl as Tsuku's aura washed over him.

"**Yes, let it wash over you, respond in turn, THERE!" **The blonde doubled over as he felt the sensation within him; the feeling of pure, unbridled power resonating within him.

"**You shall learn quickly, Junjou Mugen"**

XXXXX

A red fox awoke in the forest. It's red-slit eyes wide and alert. It swished its tail once, and departed into the night, illuminated for a split-second by the light of the full moon, and then it was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hajimemashite-how do you do/nice to meet you, traditional greeting when meeting someone for the first time

Ningen-human

Kitsune-fox

-sama-honorific, very respectful

A/N: Kyuubi's name, 'Kurui' means disorder, 'Tsuku', here, means 'to catch fire', however, the word 'Tsuku' can also mean 'to tell lies', 'to attack', 'to possess', 'to haunt' and a couple other meanings, depending on what characters you spell it with.

Junjou, here means 'pure hearted', or 'naiveté'. The word Junjou can also refer to something used as a benchmark

Mugen, here, means 'dreams', fantasies, or 'visions'. The word 'Mugen' can also mean infinite.


	7. Shinobi Eve

Chapter 7

Shinobi Eve

_Konohagakure, almost 12 years since Kyuubi attack_

Movement. If any one word could describe nature, it would be movement. It was all about movement, little movements heralded death, either a preparatory twitch, or the sign that gives away those who hide. Big movement was the opposite, it meant no death was to take place here, things that made big movements were to be avoided, be it a warning, or an attack. No movement however, no movement was the most dangerous. Things that made no movement were either harmless, incapable of movement, or were simply waiting for something else to move first, waiting for the big movement to finish, or for the little movement to begin. At least that was the opinion of Junjou Mugen, a young red fox. Of course Kimagure Kori, his fellow fox and friend of three years thought Mugen was too philosophical for his own good, but Mugen paid Kori no heed.

/Prey nearby/ Mugen yipped, before dashing off into the nearby undergrowth. There was brief rustling sound, followed by a muffled crunch. Feeling inquisitive, Kori casually sauntered over to see what his friend had lucked upon. Mugen had, in fact, managed to find one of the large species of millipedes native to the forest.

/You eat more than normal/

/Mine!/ Mugen let out a warning growl before crunching down, and swallowing the remains of his invertebrate meal.

/Possessive. Enough food for everyone/

/Can't have mine/

/Only two in forest, plenty to share/

/No share, Kori have Kori food, Mugen have Mugen food/

/Incorrigible/

The pair continued their mild bickering as they traveled through the forest. Even though they were both already the size of a small dog, they weren't above such juvenile banter. They were something of an oddity among foxes, where most foxes lived in fields of long grass, and slept out in the open, only building dens to raise kits in, Kori and Mugen both lived in a forest, and slept in a den all year around. As they approached their den, Mugen suddenly paused and looked up, twitching his ears and nose sporadically.

/Time to go soon/

/Need sleep anyway/

/You always sleep, or chase vixen/

/Kori and Mugen of age, should find mate come yiffing/

/Bah, too young for kits, still kits ourselves/

/Says you/ Kori made to nip Mugen in the ear, but Mugen quickly ducked out of the way. Kori was about to have another go at him, when he recognized what Mugen was about to do. He paused and sat on his haunches as he watched his friend's actions. Mugen eyed his own tail for a few seconds before lunging at it. After a few misses, he managed to bite down on his tail about halfway. Ignoring Kori's yips of laughter, he closed his eyes and dragged his teeth along the length of his tail, as he did so, his jaws seemed to clamp down on something other than his tail; he growled and a glowing, swirling red orb was drawn from his tail; His Hoshi no Tama, the source of every Kitsune's power.

'_Take all that is fox, and concentrate it into a single point, then coat the human over that point and change' _Mugen took a breath and bit down on the ball. It seemed to burst, before flowing down the fox's throat, like a glittery red wine.

Blue eyes looked out at the world, blinking as they adjusted to the dim light. Letting out a sigh, Uzumaki Naruto arched his back, before standing up on his hind- err… legs. He closed his for a moment as he allowed his human brain to calibrate itself. It's not so much that he was a different person while in his fox form, far from it, however; a fox's mind approaches things somewhat differently to a human mind, a fox sees actions while a human mind sees information. In reality, he could switch to either mode of thinking regardless of what form he took, but it still takes a couple of seconds for the other mind to wake up after switching. He once tried having both minds awake at once, but he was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of input his body received, so he only ever had one on at any one time. Of course, certain aspects could be utilized separately of the actually processor itself.

/Test today, if pass get place in pack, become sentinel/ A series of short yips and barks issued out from his human throat, while he fished around inside the hollow tree that had been his home for the better part of five years.

/Won't have much time as fox then/

/Will still visit/ He replied, flicking his tail. _'Oh right, my tail' _He closed his eyes and concentrated, and the red, furry tail behind his seemed to be drawn back inside his body. It was a minor inconvenience, but Tsuku said it was a part of being a kitsune.

_Flashback_

"_**Everything about a kitsune is stored in one of two things; its mind and soul are within its Hoshi no Tama, and its power is within its tail. Even when you are inside your human body, your kitsune power is still a part of you, as such, your chakra will 'instinctively form a tail, if you allow it. You learned about tenketsu in your shinobi academy didn't you?" **_

"_Um, kinda, its what chakra comes out of, right?"_

"_**In a word, yes. Most ningen have 361, however, kitsune, and other tailed youkai have an additional 53 located in their tail. Even if you take a form that doesn't have a tail, they will continue to emit chakra, which will flow in the shape of a tail. Of course, when you start to grow more tails, **_**that's**_** when things get…interesting…kukukuku"**_

_End Flashback _

Although he didn't quite get the details, he understood that to stop his tail from forming, he had to stem the flow of chakra in that part of his body. …Which is a lot harder than it sounds, especially for a mere academy student.

'_Even if I do that…I can still feel my tail…it's so weird' _He thought to himself, swishing his absent 'tail' from side to side as he fished out his orange jumpsuit. There was no heartrending story behind what some would label as a monstrosity, it was simply something he'd stolen from a store one night. Nonetheless, it was by far Naruto's favorite piece of clothing. If for nothing else than that, while he was wearing it, it felt uncannily like he still had his fur. Some might argue that, as a ninja, orange was not the best choice when ones life may depend on not being seen. But ever since he'd begun living in the forest, his life _had _depended on not being seen whilst bright orange. He could do it as a fox, and certain pranking expeditions had certified that he could do it as a human.

After affixing his kunai holster, and tool pouch to his pants, and affixing a pair of green goggles to his head; an object he had picked up solely to keep his hair out of his eyes, he set off out of the forest.

/Wish me luck/ He yelped

/Don't mess up too badly/

/Traitor/

XXXX

It was 7 am by the time Naruto made it to the village, a good two hours before he was due to arrive at the academy. With that in mind, he set of to his first destination.

'_Praise Inari-sama Ichiraku has a breakfast special'_ He broke into a swift jog, as he made his way towards his beloved ramen stand. At first glance, he seemed impervious to the cold, icy glares of the villagers as he wove between them. But in reality he noting every face to memory, sooner or later he would need to know who hated him.

'_**They stare at you as if you were below them. You should not tolerate this. Let loose, show them who they're messing with! You would only need to kill one, and they would all be terrified of you, you would only…' **_He listened patiently to the demonic whisperings, and weighed up what they said.

'_No, if I attack them, I appear weak, unable to tolerate even their cold eyes. If I kill them, I make an enemy of the whole village and wind up dead. As long as they do nothing, I do nothing. If they act out against me, then I get my own revenge. Humiliation is far worse than death' _He liked to call the voice his 'Oni-Zenshin', at first he had thought it was Tsuku, but the truth was, they were his own thoughts. Another way to describe it would be his 'demonic pride', it demanded satisfaction at all costs, and believed much of Konoha deserved to die for what they had done to him. It had been all too easy to ignore it in the past, but Tsuku had warned him against doing so. He had explained that to ignore it was to ignore your own desires. Which may seem to work, but in reality only makes them stronger, weakens your resolve over time, until eventually, seemingly out of no-where, you cave in, and offer no resistance. _**"You become a true monster"**_He had said. So instead Naruto listened to his Oni-Zenshin, he took its words into consideration, and dealt with what bothered him in his own way. That was actually the origin of just about every prank he'd ever played; it was simply revenge on his part. He couldn't help but be surprised at how easily a voice crying out for blood was sedated by dropping a bucket of whitewash on the victim's head.

He sat down at the modest stand and offered Teuchi, the owner and head chef, and full grin.

"Mornin' Naruto, what'll it be?"

"Morning-ttebayo. I think I'll have a miso ramen to start off with today"

"You heard the boy, one miso ramen, coming right up" The old man said to his daughter and co-worker.

"Hai". Naruto waited patiently as his first bowl was prepared, his hand twitching excitedly. When it arrived, his grin spread even wider, as he inhaled the sweet aroma of his blessed ramen. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small container of sake. Holding it in both hands, he placed it vehemently on the mini-dais of a vermilion, miniature shrine, featuring two kitsune, that had been affixed to the bench top some years prior. Their tails pointed straight up, and each held a key in its mouth. Naruto could still remember when he'd presented Ichiraku Ramen with the miniature shrine, marking it as a place blessed by Inari-Daimyojin; god of the harvest and patron god of foxes. Of course, the object had been cause for a few raised eyebrows in a village where foxes were seen as a sign of bad luck, ever since thy Kyuubi attacked, however, nobody ever said anything for fear of being refused service, or perhaps because Ichiraku had only moved into Konoha a few years ago. It had been at the grand opening, just before closing time that Naruto had appeared, having smelled their produce during his nightly romp. He had been their loyal customer ever since, and ate there at least once every day, as long as they were open. Money was never a problem, when you live in a forest, and steal what you need, his monthly sixpence tended to just pile up. Of course, since his apartment had burnt down, there had been several attempts to cut him off, but the Sandaime was the only one with the authority to do so, meaning Naruto became that much wealthier each month. It would stop the moment he became a ninja, but he assumed the pay of a ninja would be a LOT bigger. Despite not having anything to spend it on, Naruto still liked money, if nothing else because of its shininess.

After finishing his meal, Naruto bid farewell to the stand owner, and made his way to his second destination

XXXXXX

A long walk, and a short hike later; Naruto was atop the Hokage monument. He walked over to the head of the Yondaime Hokage and sat down.

"Morning…Tou-san" It had been a bit of a shock to the boy when he discovered who his father was. Of course, he wasn't meant to find out until he was old enough to inherit, but Naruto had never been one to wait for something to happen. He wouldn't have even found out if he hadn't been going through the library archives on a whim. Whilst there, he had stumbled across a photo of a blonde man, a red haired woman, and the Sandaime Hokage. He probably wouldn't have given it a second thought if he hadn't caught sight of the description on the back

"_Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, and Sarutobi" _Exited at the prospect of finding another Uzumaki, he had delved further into the villages records, bypassing a few security measures with thanks to his kitsune heritage, he had found what he wanted to know;

Uzumaki Kushina was the only Uzumaki to ever live in Konoha before him, had moved to the village at the age of twenty, Had fallen pregnant exactly nine months before Kyuubi's attack, and was listed as a victim of the attack.

Crestfallen that his mother was certifiably dead, he had turned to the other side of the gene pool; his father. Having been tutored by Kyuubi every full moon, Naruto had been more than aware of where babies come from, and also had a good grasp of hereditary features, even if he couldn't spell it. Putting two and two together, it was obvious that the man in the picture, with the same blonde hair, the same blue eyes, and the same face if you squinted, was his father. Unfortunately, all records of Namikaze Minato seemed to have vanished, with the exception of the photo. Even when he asked around, those that would reply anyway, no one seemed to recall a blonde haired, blue-eyed man named Namikaze Minato. Of course, that was until he'd approached the Sandaime about it. Brandishing the picture as evidence, he'd been able to get the aged Hokage to admit everything, the truth of his heritage, his inheritance, everything.

Namikaze Minato, known as Kazama Arashi after his skills, and techniques, later known as Konoha no Kiroi Senko, the man who went on to become the Yondaime Hokage, the one who stopped the Kyuubi no Youko's assault by sacrificing himself to seal it into Uzumaki Naruto; his son.

He'd been angry at first; he wanted to gouge out the man's image from the very mountain-face with his bare fingers for condemning him to a life of hatred. He'd settled for spray-painting the entire monument. Somehow, seeing the man who quite probably ruined his life decked out like a drag queen made him feel better than seeing said man a bloody and mangled corpse.

Once he'd gotten most of his anger out of his system, he made a minor alteration to his plan. He wasn't just going to be the Hokage; he was going to be the best. Faster, stronger, more powerful, and he'd sacrifice himself a thousand times over, rather than sacrifice his companions, let alone his own family.

So now, every week or so, he came along to gloat over his latest achievements, and how close he was to surpassing him.

"Guess what? Today's the day I become a fully-fledged shinobi. What do you think of that-ttebayo?"

"I've been training really hard, Tsuku's taught me how to do heaps of stuff. I've even worked out how to seal things into scrolls and stuff, I'll pass for sure-ttebayo!" Although his smile never faltered, his voice did, slightly.

"I just hope…I just hope I'm good enough…" He said softly, for a split second his eyes revealed all the anxiety, and fear, and apprehension he was feeling, But only for a split-second.

"Well, standing around talking to your craggy face isn't going to do anything, I got an exam to pass. Sayonara!" With that he jumped up and began racing down the mountain, his eyes set firmly on the academy.

If there was one thing Uzumaki Naruto didn't do, it was second-guess.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kimagure-whimsical

Kori-sly fellow

Hoshi no Tama-star ball, said to be the physical manifestation of a fox's power, usually carried in the mouth or in the tail.

Tenketsu-361 points on the chakra system, each approximately the size of a pin-head, that emit chakra, once its been mixed

Oni-Zenshin- lit. Demon conscience

Tou-san-father, somewhat respectful…but not as much as Otou-san, or Otou-sama

Konoha no Koroi Senko- Yellow Flash of Konoha


	8. A New Leaf

Chapter 8

A New Leaf

There was a general ruckus in the classroom; many were exited at the prospect of finally becoming genin, making grand boasts about their prowess. Others seemed rather apathetic, either unconcerned or just that confident in their ability to pass.

Uzumaki Naruto was one of the confident ones, he sat splayed out on his seat, with his eyes closed and a huge grin on his face, blissfully ignorant of the figure that entered through the door.

'_Hehehe, finally, a ninja! I can't wait! I wonder how I should celebrate? I suppose it would be best not to go overboard…Tsuku said that it was time for me to move on to the next stage of my training, I gotta be ready!" _As he ran party ideas through his head, his body switched to autopilot. His left ear twitched slightly, a millisecond later his head whipped to the side, and his mouth snapped shut over an insect that had been about to crash into his face. He bit down and his eyes shot open. He chewed once before making his decision.

'_That…was NOT a bug'_

"Naruto! I'll thank you kindly to pay attention, and don't eat my chalk!"

"Hehehe, 'cough-cough', I thought it was a rare flying mint I'd heard so much about. You really shouldn't trick your students like that" The orange-clad blonde retorted, spitting out bits of chalk between sentences. Iruka smirked slightly; it was practically a game between them.

"A ninja should be prepared for everything, that doesn't mean he should be prepared to eat enemy projectiles, what if that was a kunai?"

"Then I'd have a really cool tongue piercing, wouldn't I?"

"Oi! Naruto-baka, Urusai!" Their battle of wits was cut short by an impatient brown-haired girl to Naruto's left. Naruto pouted, while Iruka calmly shuffled the papers in his hands.

"Now then, as I'm sure you are aware, today is the day of your final exam. If you pass this, you will be on your way to a successful career as a Konoha shinobi."

'_Yeah yeah, get to the part where I have to do something' _As Iruka droned on at what he thought was a highly motivational speech; Naruto tapped his fingers against his desk in a steady beat. It was something that Tsuku had shown him, two beats, two beats, then four beats, repeated every three seconds on a plain, wooden drum, made with the tanned hide of a large beast. It was a part of an ancient hunting ritual, practiced by a forest dwelling tribe that had worshipped the Kyuubi as a fox-spirit of the hunt. All the followers were long dead, but Naruto found the steady beat worked wonders to relax him. Of course, if he kept it up for too long, _then _he started to get excited…

"Next, Uzumaki Naruto" The blonde fox-boy looked up and shot Iruka a grin as he got out of his chair. It unsettled Iruka slightly, continued exposure to the Kyuubi-brat had forced him to admit the kid wasn't likely to destroy the village anytime soon, he was just a goofy kid who was a bit eccentric. He'd seen more unstable social workers than the boy who'd raised himself the majority of his life. But still…that smile…it didn't look like the boy's normal, happy-go-lucky grin, it looked more at place on an animal that had found a new mouse to play with.

XXXXX

Naruto was still smiling as he entered the examination room. He had no clue what the test was, but he had no doubt he would pass, he may have been lacking in certain skills, but its not like there was any specific technique he couldn't do.

"Alright Naruto, this test requires you to show skilled knowledge in chakra molding, basic hand-seal usage, chakra manipulation, and ability to pick up detail.

"Yeah, and?" The whiskered blonde looked at his teacher through squinted eyes, coupled with the whisker marks on his cheeks, his resemblance to a kitsune was uncanny.

"Put simply, I need you to use Bunshin no Jutsu, and successfully create three accurate, and functioning clones of yourself, then Mizuki-sensei and myself will grade your performance and decide whether your good enough to pass or not"

"Way to degrade your students worth…" He muttered under his breath. "Right, three Bunshin coming ri-iight up!"

'_Bunshin? Ha! That's my best skill, Kitsune illusions are way harder to do than this, still, better not over do it, stick to the basic when it matters most' _He spread his legs evenly, and closed his eyes for a brief second, before flashing them open again, determination showing.

'_Tiger, Boar, Ox, Dog' _As he performed the hand seals, he felt his chakra flow into them, allowing only a small portion of his chakra to go into the technique, he divided it between the four seals, in varying amounts, once he had all the chakra, he worked on weaving it in his mind.

"Bunshin no Jutsu" There was a puff of smoke, and as it cleared there were four identical copies of Naruto, each with the same grin on their face.

"Ne? I did good right? Can I release them now or do you want them to hang around longer?" One of the Naruto's asked, while the other three ran around in various formations behind him.

"Yes, that was excellent, well done Naruto" Iruka said warmly. As the clones vanished in a puff of smoke, Naruto beamed at his sensei. He missed the look of careful consideration on the assistant instructor's face. Iruka reached over, and passed him a hitai-ate from the pile on the desk.

"Congratulations, Naruto, wear this proudly. Come back after school, and I'll take you out for Ramen, Okay?"

"Hai!" Naruto said excitedly, embracing his teacher in a fierce hug. Before running out the room. Iruka smiled warmly; he'd really become attached to that kid…

XXXXXX

As the bell rang, the students immediately rushed out from the classroom. Well…perhaps fled would be a more accurate term

"Don't forget, be here next week to receive your team assignments!" The exasperated Chuunin shouted after them, only to be ignored. He sighed and slumped his shoulders.

"Ah, well. If they forget that, then they probably shouldn't be ninja anyway. Hey Mizuki, we might as well hurry up and evaluate all the graduates. Mizuki?" The brown haired Nin looked around the empty classroom, before falling back into his chair, a large pile of paper balancing precariously just on the edge of his sight, taunting him.

"MIZUKI YOU BASTARD!"

XXXXXX

"Hoi! Uzumaki!" Naruto paused mid-step to see who was calling him.

"Huh?" He turned, and saw Mizuki running towards him.

"Mizuki-sensei? What is it?" He looked up at the silver haired Chuunin, his eyes filled with curiosity. Although he'd never acted against the blonde, Mizuki had never really done anything for him either. Still, Naruto liked to take the 'innocent until proven guilty' approach.

"I'm afraid I've got some bad news, me and the other instructors were going over everyone's final report, when it came up that, due to you virtually never handing in assignments, your grades fall short of the minimum requirements to graduate"

"Y-You mean?" The orange clad blonde's hand reach unconsciously into his pocket, fondling the headband concealed there.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to become a ninja". With that one statement, all of Naruto's hopes and dreams came crashing down. He wouldn't be a ninja, he'd remain downtrodden and hated just because he spending too much time running around, instead of doing reports on the Daimyo's cat.

"I…I…"

"…Bu-ut" Mizuki said, almost tauntingly.

"What, what, I'll do anything!"

'Gotcha, hook, line and sinker'

"Well, if you managed to perform an…extra-curricular assignment, that would be enough to bolster your grade-point-average enough so that you'd be able to graduate."

"Really? Come on! Come on! What do I have to do?"

"This assignment will require you to utilize stealth, ingenuity, and applied learning. You see, there's this scroll…"

XXXXX

"Where is he?" Iruka said out loud. He was standing in front of the academy, and had been for almost two hours.

"It's not like him to be late for ramen…" He said, his eyes darting up and down the street.

"Bah, idiot probably forget all about it…" He said, laughing softly to try and hide the rising concern in his voice.

'_But still, he's always taken his ramen seriously, I could set an exact date, and time, down to the second, for three years from now and he'd probably be there on time'_

I suppose I might as well check his house, he might of just fallen asleep after the day's excitement. Now where's that register?"

XXXXX

"Let's see…according to the student register, Naruto lives right about…here" Iruka said, his head buried in a map. He lowered the map and let out a gasp.

"Th-this is-!" He stared in horror at the black heap before him. Where there should have been a small apartment building was instead a pile of scorched timber and metal. Iruka stepped back in shock. Noticing a person in his peripheral vision, he called out.

"Hey! What happened here? Wasn't there an apartment building here?"

"What? That thing? That burnt down about five years ago. Stupid demon"

"F-five years ago?"

_'That was when Naruto joined the academy. Where has he been living all this time? What does this mean?'_

XXXXXX

After several hours worth of fruitless searching for either his wayward student, or any answers on the boys living conditions, Iruka decided to take the matter straight to the Hokage.

It was dark as he entered the Hokage tower.

'_Has everyone gone home already? I thought this place was open till ten' _He thought to himself as he walked past the unmanned counter.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

"Uugh"

"Who's there?" He demanded, kunai in hand. When he got no response he slowly approached the sound, only to find it was one of the guards. The man was on the brink of consciousness, his eyes were wide an unfocused, and he was mumbling incoherently.

"Who…who did this?"

"Ugh…o-orange…and…a smell…ughhh"

"Don't worry, everything's going to be okay"

'_He's got a bump on the head, probably from hitting the ground after whatever knocked him unconscious. Sounds he was either chloroformed, or gassed. Buy why only disable him? Wouldn't it have been better to kill him outright?' _He suddenly set out a sharp gasp.

'_As far as the intruder was concerned, the guard wasn't a priority, the intruder must be after the Hokage!'_

"Stay here, I'm going to check on Hokage-sama" he reassured the fallen guard, before running off down the hall. All throughout the way guards lay either dazed or unconscious. Each one relatively unharmed.

'_Whoever did this was a professional. Is it foreign ANBU?' _Iruka hurried his pace as images of the elderly Hokage, lying dead in a pool of his own blood swam through his head. As he ran, he took note of just who was lying unconscious.

'_Wait a minute; I know some of these people. Most of them finish their shift around this time…after about eight hour shifts…the intruder must have know this and planned in advance, strike at the end of their shifts, when they'd be least alert…how did he get a hold of such information? The guards are chosen randomly each night…a spy?'_

"Hokage-sama!" He shouted as he swung open the heavy doors into the Hokage's office. His heart leapt to his throat as he observed the scene; it was just like he'd imagined; The Hokage, still in his robes, sprawled across the floor, lying in a pool of his own blood.

"Hokage-sama, no, Sarutobi-san. When my parents died, I fell into a dark place…but you…you led me out of the darkness…you allowed me to become all that I am today. I swear on the graves of my ancestors…I shall devote my life to hunting down and killing the one who murdered you." His breaths were coming heavy, and his palms were sweating. It all felt like a bad dream to Iruka. He reached a shaking hand over, and closed the deceased legends eyes. He was just about to rise, when they snapped open again. Iruka frowned, and lowered them, waiting a few moments…counting the rise and fall of the Hokage's chest…

'_Wait a minute…!'_

"Hokage-sama! Your alive!" He exclaimed, quickly wiping away the tears in his eyes.

"Huh, Iruka? Is that you? I was having the most wonderful dream…there was this girl and…"

"Hokage-sama, you're delirious, where are you hurt? How did you survive? Who attacked you?" As Iruka questioned the old man, his sleepy expression suddenly sharpened.

"Attack? What attack? What happened?" he demanded, standing up quickly.

"You sir, you were attacked"

"What? I wasn't attacked. "

"But…the blood…your face…" Iruka said, gesturing to the partially dry pool on the ground, and the thin layer of blood on the Hokage's face.

"Blood? Oh…OH…Tch, to thing I was taken out by such a Jutsu…I'll have to label it as an A-class, I always said that boy would be the death of me, I never meant literally…"

"Sir? What are you talking about?" The spiky-haired Chuunin asked, confused. The Hokage ignored his complaints, and walked over to a section of the wall, notably a now empty secret compartment.

"So that was his goal…but why? That's not important at the moment. Iruka!"

"Hai?"

"Send out a special summons, I want every able-bodied ninja above genin rank here at once, preferably those still wide awake.

"Ladies and gentleman, Uzumaki Naruto has stolen the Forbidden Scroll of Seals."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Elsewhere_

"Alright, That was a lot easier than expected. I can't believe Ojii-san fell for my technique. I guess he really is a pervert. Imagine what he'll do when I complete it, hehehe. Now then…" The orange fox-boy grinned as he unfurled the scroll on his back.

"Lets see…the first technique is…Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu; Sweet, just what I need to start of my ninja career, a kick-ass technique! Let's see…_ 'This is the advanced form of Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, a B-rank Nin Jutsu. The technique uses the same hand seals as Kage Bunshin (Ram, Serpent, Tiger, or a unique cross seal as a substitute), however, unlike Kage Bunshin, were it splits the users chakra between four clones, Tajuu Kage Bunshin allows the user to control how many Bunshin are created, then divides the users chakra. However, if the user creates too many Bunshin, then their chakra will be divided to thinly, and won't leave enough for themselves. Resulting in chakra depletion, or in worse case scenario: death'_"

"Whoa, this things heavy…what's the big deal about these 'Kage Bunshin' anyway? Lets see…_ 'These Bunshin have all the added abilities basic Kage Bunshin have, as they are real copies, they are solid, and capable of interacting with other objects, and each other, and are capable of independent thought, and ideas. As they all have a portion of the users chakra, they are even capable of utilizing Nin Jutsu, Gen Jutsu, and any bloodline traits, or other abilities if the user possesses them'_

"I suppose that means they can use my demonic chakra as well then…umm _'Additionally, anything a clone learns is passed on to the user upon dispersal…however, communication is possible via the chakra link between them, if the user knows any such chakra communication techniques'"_

"Cool, these guys are like, my own personal ANBU or something, what else does it have to say? _'Upon dispersal, any remaining chakra possessed by the Bunshin will also be returned to the user, however, the longer a clone exists, the less chakra it will possess and will automatically disperse itself when it has only just enough chakra to carry its memories back to the user, which is about the same amount as needed to use the kawamiri no Jutsu. This is also to help prevent death by chakra exhaustion, as if neither the user, nor the clones have enough chakra to remain, all the clones will expire, returning the bulk of the chakra to the user'_"

"Man, they really pulled out all the stops with this one, not much else, clones can be remotely dispersed, look exactly like the user, ah _'As the Bunshin are constructs of nothing but chakra, if anything other than the users chakra penetrates their outer chakra shell, the clones will become too unstable to remain, and expire'_"

"Wow, how nice of them, if they assumed I already knew how to use Kage Bunshin I'd be fucked then, ttebayo. Now, how did that cool cross-seal go?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Several hours later

'_Naruto, why? Why would you do something like this? And how did someone who'd only just graduated manage to non-lethally incapacitate every guard in the Hokage building? What are you hiding Naruto?' _Such thoughts ran unbidden through the scar-nosed Chuunin's mind as he raced through the trees. Even though the Hokage had said Naruto was to be taken unharmed, he knew there were a few too many shuriken-happy ninja on the search team for him to be able to relax.

Just as he was about to turn around and look elsewhere, Iruka heard the unmistakable sound of his blonde student, he couldn't quite hear what he was saying, but it sounded like ramen. With a quick use of Shunshin no Jutsu, he joined the blonde in the clearing.

"Naruto, what do you think your doing? Everyone's been searching for you!" he shouted angrily, dimly, he took note of the Konoha hitai-ate that now adorned his student's head.

'_He's wearing it, that probably means he isn't trying to abandon the village'_

"Oh, hey Iruka-sensei, I found you"

"Idiot, I found YOU!"

"Whatever, Hey! Is this the part were I show you my new technique, I only had time to learn one technique but it kicks ass!"

"That's what you where doing out here? Training?" Iruka asked incredulously.

"Yeah, Mizuki sensei said if I learned a technique and showed it to you, then I wouldn't fail, and I'd still be able to become a ninja"

"Wait, Mizuki said what?"

"He said if I nabbed the scroll, and showed you this technique, then I'd definitely graduate." Naruto grinned. He was about to say something more when suddenly Iruka tacked him.

"Itai, Nani?" he looked up just in time to see Iruka get hit by a barrage of Kunai, kunai that had obviously been intended for him.

"I see, so that's what's going on," The scarred Chuunin said, clutching his side where a particularly unlucky kunai had grazed him.

"Nice job finding him" Mizuki said, emerging from the trees, a pair of extra-large shuriken on his back.

"Naruto, give me the scroll"

"Naruto! Don't give him the scroll, even if you die!" Iruka shouted frantically.

"Huh? Wh-what's going on?" Naruto demanded, his eyes darting between his two teachers.

'_**No matter what happens, don't die!' **_Numbly, he agreed with the darker side of his persona.

"That's a dangerous scroll that has forbidden Nin Jutsu sealed inside of it. Mizuki used you in order to get his hands on it!"

"He…used me…?"

'_**Traitor, kill the traitor!' **_Adrenaline began to pump through his body as his fight-or-slight instincts began to kick in.

"Y'know, Uzumaki, there's no point in you having the scroll, after all"

"Mizuki, don't!"

"You are the demon-fox that destroyed the village, you are the one who killed Iruka's parents!"

"Stop it!" The other Nin demanded.

"U-Urusai…" The blonde said feebly.

"The village lost its greatest leader because of you!" Mizuki smirked and shunshin'd to right in front of him. Naruto stood there, frozen in terror as he eyed the enormous blade in his sensei's hand. He didn't feel the hand on his forehead until it yanked off his headband. Iruka's hand tensed as he prepared to move at a moments notice.

"Wh-what are you…?"

"A monster like you will never be accepted, everyone hates you. What would a no-good monster like you do with a thing like this?" Mizuki taunted, waving the headband tauntingly. He smirked, and clenched his fist, snapping the metal into several shards.

"N-no…!"

"Hahaha, you want this? Go and get it!" The silver haired Nin laughed and threw the headband at a nearby tree. It made a dull clunk, and fell to the ground. Naruto dropped to his knees and scrabbled desperately for the destroyed hitai-ate. Mizuki laughed, and began spinning the giant shuriken in his hand.

"Iruka's the same!! He actually hates you!!" Naruto froze, his hand on the useless band of cloth and scraps of metal.

"Y-you're lying," he said, feebly.

'_**Kill'**_

"No one will ever accept you!"

"U-Urusai"

'_**Kill him'**_

"DIE DEMON!!" Mizuki screamed, hurling the enormous projectile at him. Naruto eyed the spinning blade with terror filled eyes. If it hit him, he'd be dead for sure.

'Schlik!'

Naruto stared wide eyed at Iruka, blood dripping down on his face as one of the closest things he'd ever had to a father figure lay over him. The giant shuriken embedded in his back.

"Why…?"

"I-I know what its like. When my parents died, no one saw me. They just saw another orphan and moved on, like I was a part of the scenery. I did anything to get people to look at me; I acted up in school, got into fights, whatever got peoples attention. I'm sure…it's been hard for you too" Naruto stared at him wide eyed, his mind reeling from the situation, coupled with fatigue from training.

'_Is…is he telling the truth? I…I can't tell, I…it could be another trick. I…I have to find a way out!' _His mind made up, Naruto crawled out from beneath his wounded sensei and fled, scroll in tow.

"Hehehehe, sorry…but Naruto isn't the type to have a change of heart. He'll use that scroll and get revenge on the village"

"…"

"You saw those eyes earlier, those were the eyes of a demon"

"Ha…ha…GAH!" Iruka let out a cry as he tore Mizuki's shuriken out of his back.

'_Thank Kami it didn't penetrate too deep'_

"Naruto…isn't like that!!!" He said, gasping as he felt the pain of his wound.

"Tch, either way, I'll kill Naruto, get the scroll, then take care of you later."

"No! Wait!!"

XXXXXX

"He should have been killed the moment he was born!" A ninja shouted, his cry was replied with a chorus of cheers.

"Now we have to kill him, before he releases the demon's power!"

"He's very dangerous!"

"Kill him if you find him!"

"Yeah!"

A portion of the search party had regrouped on the Hokage tower, having turned up nothing. They tried to overlook that fact by justifying how bad it was that the blonde Jinchuuriki was on the loose, as though that shifted the blame away from them. Inside, the Hokage was observing Naruto through his crystal ball.

'_I finally find Naruto, and this happens. I suppose he'd been convincing himself the whole time that he would eventually be accepted…now Mizuki's gone and torn down years of mental defenses…Naruto is afraid like never before…he may be tempted to use the power of the fox in order to protect himself, plus he holds the scroll of seals. The worst-case scenario…he may forsake his humanity all together. If that happens…no, Its all up to Iruka now'_

XXXXXXX

"Naruto, hurry and give me the scroll! Mizuki is right behind us!" Naruto turned, and catapulted himself right into Iruka's protesting form. He knocked him off the tree branch, and they both went sliding into a tree-trunk.

"Why?"

"Because, I'm Iruka" 'Naruto' said, releasing his henge.

"I see" 'Iruka' said, changing back into Mizuki. Unbeknownst to either of them, the real Naruto hid nearby, listening to their every word.

"Heh, you'd even transform into what killed your parents to protect him?"

"I won't hand the scroll over to an idiot like you!"

"You're the idiot, Naruto and I are the same"

"The same?"

"If you use the skills in that scroll, you can do whatever you want. Unlike what you're assuming, there's no way a monster like him wouldn't try to use that power"

"Yeah…your right" Iruka said, it took all of Naruto's willpower not to run at him right there and then.

'I see…so deep down…not even Iruka-sensei acknowledges me…'

"A monster would abuse the power of the scroll like that…but Naruto is different"

"?"

"!"

"He is…someone I acknowledge as one of my excellent students. He may not be the hardest worker, or the most talented, but he knows what it is to feel pain in your heart. He is not just the demon fox, he is a member of Konohagakure, he is Uzumaki Naruto!"

'Iruka-sensei!'

"Yeah…whatever. Iruka, I said I was going to kill you later, but I've changed my mind. I think I'll kill you now. Mizuki said, pulling the other shuriken off his back and spinning it.

"Hurry up and die!!" He screamed, speeding right towards his former friend.

'_So this is it…' _Iruka thought. Just as he was about to close his eyes he caught sight of a blur of orange.

"Naruto?" There was an audible smack, as the blonde-haired boy launched himself at the attacking Mizuki. Said Chuunin hit the ground hard, before skidding to a halt.

"You shouldn't have done that!" The silver haired Chuunin said, menacingly.

"Naruto! Get out of here!"

"I don't leave my own behind." Naruto said, leaving no room for argument.

"Bah! Shut up punk, I'll kill you in one shot!"

"Just try it. I'll return the pain a thousand times over!!!." Naruto said, forming his hands into a cross-shape.

_**'Get the traitor!'**_

"I'll kill you!!!" Mizuki screamed

"Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu". There was a myriad of poof sounds, as the clearing filled with smoke. When the smoke cleared, Neither Mizuki not Iruka could scarcely believe their eyes. There was well over a thousand, identical copies of Naruto, spread all throughout the area.

"Wha-whats going on?"

"What's wrong?"

"Come get me"

"I thought you were going to kill me with one shot." His voice seemed to come from every direction at once as the army taunted their former teacher.

"Naruto…you…" Iruka started, flabbergasted.

"I'm still a bit new at this" A random Naruto started

"So I'll just do it with fists" Another finished.

"a-a-a-a-A-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Mizuki let out a horrible cry as he was assaulted from all sides.

'_Naruto…he actually divided into well over a thousand clones, Kage Bunshin too, a high level Nin Jutsu to start off with. And he's been a genin less than a day…' _Iruka's gaze drifted over to Naruto's bare forehead. His mind briefly recollected the fate of the boy's old headband. He could always get him another one from supplies but…

"Naruto, come here and close your eyes" Iruka said, as Mizuki's battered body fell limply to the ground. There was an enormous cloud of smoke as all the clones dispersed at once, and the original walked towards him. Rubbing his head slightly.

"I just got about a weeks worth of memories of Mizuki-sensei getting beaten to a pulp…it makes my brain hurt," He muttered under his breath. He closed his eyes, briefly wondering what was going to happen to him now.

XXXXXXXX

"Did anyone find him?

"NO!!!"

"DAMN IT!! This is bad!!"

"He could be miles away by now"

"There's nothing to worry about"

"Hokage-sama?" All heads turned to the Sandaime Hokage.

"He'll be back soon," The senior ninja said, sagely.

XXXXXXXXX

"Can I open my eyes now?"

"Alright, now you can" As Naruto opened his eyes; he was surprised to see Iruka's bare forehead. His hand slowly reached up, and felt warm metal instead of bare skin on his own. Iruka had given him his headband.

"Your other one got broken, so I guess you can have mine. It'll save walking all the way back to the academy to grab a spare. Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out.

"Y'know, I seem to remember a bowl of ramen you never showed up for, I suppose I can make room in my busy schedule for a raincheck…ooh…right about now, hey that hurts!" He exclaimed, as his blonde student tackled him in a bear hug,

'_I was going to lecture him on how the hard part of being a shinobi had just begun…but I'll save it for the ramen place'_

XXXXXXXX

_Later, at the Hokage Tower_

"There we go…'Oiroke no Jutsu', A-class Jutsu, not to be taught without explicit permission from the Hokage himself…or herself, who knows. I suppose Naruto can fill the rest out himself…I can only imagine the sheer destruction this technique could cause if it got into the wrong hands…"

"I wonder if I could convince Naruto to teach it to me? I mean, my reputation demands that I know every technique in Konoha. After all, I'm the professor! Right?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

this is the definition of chakra that I will be using in this, and probably any other fanfic's I care to write. Feel free to borrow it I you want, just give me mention.

Extracting the physical energy (Ki) stored in our cells, gained from training and exercise, and mixing it with spiritual energy (Chi), which is gained from life experience, and meditation, creates chakra. Rock Lee has high physical energy, but low spiritual, meaning, although he actually possesses a high amount of chakra, its not very potent, and useless for Nin Jutsu. Inuzuka Kiba is similar, but not so extreme, however, he uses food pills to make up for it. Nara Shikamaru has low physical energy, but high spiritual, meaning while he doesn't have a lot of it, what he does have is more potent. The same applies to Chouji, and Sakura. Gaara is the most extreme case, which is why he can perform massive Jutsu, but can't do very many of them. The only reason he's so successful, is because it requires minimal amounts of chakra to move his own, chakra soaked sand, and because he has demonic chakra to fall back on in extreme cases. The auto-defense also helps.

Now what hand seals do, is forcefully mould chakra in certain ways. Any technique can be reduced to a single hand seal, if the user knows exactly how to manipulate the chakra manually, which usually comes from repeated use of the technique, similar to muscle memory. A technique 'could' be reduced to no hand seals, but this requires the user to be able to do the entire technique manually from start to finish, and with the exception of kawamiri, isn't worth it normally.

The reason most people say their techniques out loud is similar to hand seals, in that they use it as a memory aid on what they want to do. The Japanese language helps, as you can then see each syllable as a mental hand seal, when you say Suiryudan no Jutsu, you picture what you want the technique to do in your head, and help screen out distractions, allowing you to focus on the technique until its either self-sustaining, or no longer requires much user input.

On a side note, the reason summoning, kawamiri, and Kage Bunshin create smoke when you use them is because you've got an object filling a space where there was air before and the air is forced to condense into what appears to be smoke as it is forced out of the way in a matter of instants. The opposite occurs when they disperse, as the air is sucked into the mini-vacuum created by their sudden absence. Same goes to the little whistling sound they make, it's the air moving quickly.

Why do regular Bunshin create smoke? I'm assuming it's a part of the technique, making it harder to distinguish the real one. It could also be that, since chakra is an existing object, and a simple Bunshin is still made of chakra, regardless of its small amount, it still moves the air. The universe dictates that any place, regardless of its shape, size, or area, it must have something in it. Take gallon of milk, ever notice if you pour it too fast it flops and gets everywhere? That is the air pushing in to the area milk once was. Even a vacuumed box has something filling the void. If you have the lights on, and its see through, then it is filled with light. Turn off the lights you say? No use, even if it has no light it still has something in it. Dark Matter. Dark Matter is the spaces in the universe that is so called, "devoid of light". To see Dark matter just turn off your lights in an already dark area, or look up into space at night. See the areas not filled by light from the stars? That is Dark Matter. Dark Matter is said to fill 95+% of the entire universe.


	9. Creatures of the Night

Chapter 9

Creatures of the Night

Naruto couldn't help but be pleased with himself as he entered the forest. He'd not only graduated, he know knew the extent of his teachers faith in him, which made him extremely happy, and he'd gotten free ramen!

Truth be told, ramen was not, actually, the blondes favorite food. He far from hated the golden broth, but the first space was occupied by probably his one true weakness. No, his sheer delight in the simple noodle soup went much deeper than that. Its roots stemming from his upbringing; as a child, food had been scarce, and liable to be gone between one minute and the next, as such he had a deeply ingrained preference for food that could be devoured quickly, something he could accomplish with ramen in spades. Then there was the other aspect, which was not so much for ramen in general, but for the Ichiraku stands particular brand of the stuff. Under the tutelage of Tsuku, he'd been taught to revere and respect Inari-Daimyojin, the irrefutable master of all kitsune kind. The god's main role, however, was a god of the harvest; frequently portrayed as carrying a large sack of grain everywhere, and Ichiraku ramen, with it's noodles, pork, kamaboko, eggs, onions, and all manner of vegetables; it was the very amalgamation of the harvest, and a praise to Inari in itself. It was for this very reason that Naruto had presented the stall with the 'honorary temple of Inari-Daimyojin' statue upon discovering the delicacies contained therein. The blonde wasn't just boasting when he claimed their produce was "Food fit for gods-ttebayo".

Once Naruto was inside the forest, a visible change could easily be seen in his appearance; he simultaneously relaxed his posture and tensed his muscles, prepared to move in any direction at a moments notice. His eyes became sharp and attentive, taking in every detail of his surroundings. His nose and ears twitched as they where flooded with increased sensory input, and his grin slipped into something slightly more feral; revealing just enough fang to give of a slightly intimidating air…oh and the 5½ ft glowing red tail stemming from the base of his spine was a slight change as well.

"Aah, it feels good to let everything go in the evening Dattebayo!" he proclaimed, stretching his limbs vigorously. When he was done he leapt up onto a branch, and began jumping from tree to tree.

"Now, training, training!" He leapt down into a particularly large clearing, landing on all fours, his tail sticking out behind him.

"I got plenty of time to play around with Kage Bunshin, but I promised Tsuku I'd have _that_ completely mastered by the next full moon…so…" He clasped his hands together into a seal and the Jutsu flashed to life. Katachi Koutai no Jutsu

"Oiroke no Jutsu!" There was a puff of smoke as the blonde changed shape. Once it cleared, in his place stood a young, attractive, teenaged blonde girl, with modest, c-cupped breasts, whose hair was tied into twin ponytails. She was also completely naked. _Naruko _as 'she'd' dubbed herself. It felt weird to refer to herself as a boy when in a girl's body. Naruko spent several seconds seemingly groping herself, giving her various curves experimental squeezes, and jiggles.

Originally, the Jutsu had just been a rather inventive henge, if not relatively useless. But after a while, Naruto had begun experimenting in just how the Jutsu was performed. Henge was done by making a solid shell of thin chakra around the user in a particular shape or image; unfortunately, if anything penetrated that thin shell the illusion was dispelled, as it was not an actual physical change, something that had irked Naruto greatly. So he devised a henge that didn't dispel from a tap, really what he'd accomplished was incredibly ingenious, and if it got out, would potentially revolutionize ninja stealth and infiltration. Something Naruto was only dimly aware of, all he knew was that he did a really mean Henge no Jutsu. Katachi Koutai no Jutsu was what he named the actual technique involved, Oiroke no Jutsu was just the version he primarily used it for. It worked by intertwine chakra throughout his body, instead of creating a shell, he created a complex weave, actually creating a real, flesh and blood body for him to inhabit. He had no clue whatsoever where his real body went, he had a sneaking suspicion in was converted into chakra but he doubted that was the case. When he had shown his predecessor the technique, the ancient fox had been beyond delighted.

Flashback

"_**KukukukukuhahHAHAHAHAH! You truly are a kitsune, through and through."**_

"Arigato-gozaimasu, Tsuku-sama"

"_**Bah, stop being so humble, it doesn't suit you. Tell me, what do you plan on doing with this technique?"**_

"Well, I noticed a lot of guys act kinda funny when they see a cute girl, and if the girl asks them to do something, normally they do it. So I figured, I turn myself into a girl, as long as they don't know that its me they'll do what I want them to do."

"_**Kukuku, that, Mugen, is what is known as the art of seduction. But there is far more too it than merely asking; your presentation needs to be flawless, and the ever present air of suggestion is forever vital Do you want me to teach you this ancient art?" **__Naruto nodded furiously._

"_Yeah, yeah, but how do you know so much about this 'seduction' stuff anyway?" The red-haired fox-man grinned through the cage._

"_**I have been seducing mortals…" **__There was a small poof, and suddenly, on the other side of the cage stood not a man, but a buxom, red-headed woman, clad in a very revealing purple kimono. She leaned forward, revealing more cleavage than would have been considered decent in any country. __**"…of either sex…" **__There was another poof, and Naruto was again faced with a man. __**"Since before your village was so much as a stick in the mud" **__Naruto stood there gaping for a few seconds before his mind caught up._

"_Whoa…was that seduction?"_

"_**That was next to nothing compared with what I could do, if I so wanted, I could have every man, woman, and child of age in the Daimyo's palace, including the Daimyo himself, wrapped around my little finger."**_

"_Wow…so…what makes seduction work? Does it only work on guys? What made you so good at it?" The fox-boy bubbled, excitedly._

"_**Always with the questions. To start with…let me tell you about sex…then I'll teach you just how that feminine body of yours works kukukuku"**_

_Flashback End_

Getting sex-education from a thousand year old, playfully lecherous, and often whimsical kitsune had left a…lasting impression on the youth. He could not only list every erogenous zone on the human (or fox) body, in order of sensitivity. He could also recollect just about every sexual position physically possible and then some, knew a mass variety of pick-up lines, why they will never work, hell he probably knew more about women, and men, than either knew about themselves. If Kurui Tsuku, Kyuubi no Kitsune believed in anything, it was to be thorough. For his part, Naruto didn't know whether that was a blessing or a curse; on one hand, he was probably capable of sweet-talking his way out of most any situation not solved by combat, and, thanks to mass exposure, rarely showed more than a light blush, no matter how perverted the situation, but on the other hand, he now found himself devising unorthodox means of bringing a person to orgasm at seemingly random times, and could spend hours attempting to interpret what, if any, sexual quirks were possessed by his classmates during lectures. He was fairly certain that his teacher Iruka, for instance, had a thing for fishnets, although he was equally sure that the man didn't actually consciously realize it. Still, it was something duly noted if he was ever in desperate need of a favor. He desperately hoped it would never come to that, however.

"Okay, everything checks out…time to get ready!" The nude girl cheered, her tail swishing from side to side playfully. She walked over to a nearby tree and crawled into a hole amongst its roots. One of the many dens Naruto had built for storage, or in case he got stuck in the rain.

"Ah…where is it? Leaf, leaf, twigs, leaf, snail 'munch-munch-gulp', shoe, scroll, pink boxers…where did I find _those_? Ah, here we go" She emerged with a happy smile on her face, and a bundle of clothes in her hands. Once she was dressed, she was wearing black pants, and a black halter top with an ornate, blue spiral sewn on the back.

Although technique itself was complete, there was one thing Naruto lacked; firsthand experience in using it. The majority of his practice had been done either by himself, or with Tsuku. Feeling he needed some real life experience, Tsuku had set the blonde the task of seducing five different men, and five different women, over the course of one month. Of course, the fox was reasonable. All that was required for it to be considered a success was a mutual kiss, preferable initiated by the other party, beyond that Naruto could do what he liked. So far the count was five women, and four men. She intended to fulfill her itinerary that very night.

"Alright! To the bar!" Indeed, Naruto had been sneaking into bars, in one form or another, for the entire duration of his seduction training. Well…as much as you can 'sneak' when you're just walking in through the front door. But then, he argued, that's the best way to sneak in.

XXXXXXXX

Naruko swaggered haphazardly as she returned to the forest, a triumphant grin on her face.

"Yehehehe, I didsh it! I…ugh, I did it!" She did a little victory twirl, before slumping against a tree.

"Ow…shouldn't ough'to'a done that" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes lazily. She reached up to scratch her chest, only to look down in confusion as she bumped her own breast.

"Oh…right…I'ma, I'ma stilla _'hick'_ woma-…woma-…woma-…_'hic'_ girl" She formed her hands into a sloppy hand seal after the third attempt.

"'_hic' _Kai!" there was a poof of smoke, and Naruko was replaced with Naruto. Grinning stupidly he staggered towards his den. Pausing only to relieve his bladder on a tree. As he stumbled into the clearing he saw his Kitsune companion sitting on his haunches, tail swinging from side to side much the same way a human might tap their foot. Kimagure Kori sniffed the air once before glaring at the boy.

/intoxicated/ the fox said, barking gruffly.

/tree…mouse, no, sake/ He yipped back in reply, his barks distorted by his slur

/irresponsible. Drink, then sleep/ the fox commanded. Naruto nodded dimly, before wandering over to the river, his tail somewhat drooping.

/was really beautiful too/ He murmured under his breath, a slight blush on his cheeks, unaware of the fact that he still hadn't changed his clothes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**"AN" It has come to my attention that some beleve I don't have a right to be re-making this story, as mentioned by "OnGuard". I would like to take this moment to say, I have already tried to contact the original autor for permission even after seeing his words in Chapter 46 in the original story and failed. I have also had him complain about there being no disclamer in the chapters for who the previous author was. I have two things to say to that, 1. It is obvious to anyone who has read the story, and 2. I have already placed a disclamer in the summary of the entire story, if you didn't see it, look again, its right there in the story summary, thank you.**

Kamaboko- a variety of Japanese processed seafood products, called surimi, in which various white fish are pureed, formed into distinctive loaves, and then steamed until fully cooked and firm in texture. The steamed loaves are then sliced and served unheated (or chilled) with various dipping sauces or sliced and included in various hot soups, one-dish meals, or noodle dishes. Kamaboko is typically sold in semi cylindrical, Quonset hut-shaped loaves. Some kamaboko are made so that a slice looks like an object. The most common pattern is a simple spiral - sometimes referred to as "_Naruto_" in reference to a well-known tidal whirlpool near the Japanese city of Naruto.

Katachi Koutai no Jutsu- Art of the shifting form, actually changes the users body into something else.

Kai-dispel

A/N: Before I get too many complaints, YES Naruto is bisexual in this fic, it is something that will be elaborated more as time progresses. Keep in mind that the main pairing for this fic is NaruxHina! There will be side pairings, and maybe a Yaoi. Yes, Naruto can get drunk, he's just immune to alcohol poisoning, not the hangover or dehydration. Do not lecture me on underage drinking.  
It has also come to my attention that some beleve I don't have a right to be re-making this story, as mentioned by "OnGuard". I would like to take this moment to say, I have already tried to contact the original autor for permission even after seeing his words in Chapter 46 in the original story and failed. I have also had him complain about there being no disclamer in the chapters for who the previous author was. I have two things to say to that, 1. It is obvious to anyone who has read the story, and 2. I have already placed a disclamer in the summary of the entire story, if you didn't see it, look again, its right there in the story summary, thank you.


	10. The Results of Training

Chapter 10

The Results of Training

_Six Days Later_

Naruto sat in the middle of a clearing, his hands clasped together in a hand seal. A small collection of leaves swirled around him as his chakra flowed unseen across his body, his long, red tail, longer and thicker than normal, thrashed around behind him, as though it were trying to break free. Slowly, he opened two blood-red eyes. Fast as lightning, his hands shifted into a different seal.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!!" The clearing was enveloped by thick smoke as innumerable copies of the blonde poofed into existence, each baring their fangs in the same feral grin.

"HuhuHuhuHahahHaHAH**HAHAHA!!!" **The whole forest was filled with maniacal laughter as each and every Naruto cried out to the night sky. The moon hung full, and ominous overhead.

"Fi**gh**t"

"**Ki**ll"

"**Pa**rt**y!!"**

"**Mi**n**a-**san, Le**ts **R**OC**K!!"

There was a terrific battle cry, and in an instant the sounds of combat filled the air. Each clone bore variations of the same stance; knees and arms bent, with muscles tensed to allow any limb to lash out without warning, knuckles half clenched, giving him the option of to either punch, or strike with his claws, head lowered slightly so that it might snap forward and deliver a neck-crushing bite, driven by powerful jaw muscles, and razor sharp teeth. It was a stance only an Inuzuka could mimic, however they tended towards the Shikyaku no Jutsu when it came to fighting.

As one Naruto tore through another, howls of laughter and joy could be heard. There were scarcely a second between each clones demise, and Naruto (all of them) was loving it. He'd stumbled across this form of training a couple days ago, when, during an experiment, he got into an argument with one of his clones. Push came to shove, and someone got bitten, from that point on things got a bit hazy, but by the end he had felt worn out, tired, and like he'd beaten back an army. When he realized that's exactly what he'd done, it was instantly promoted to his favorite form of training. Under the light of the full moon, when his power was at its greatest, he estimated he would be able to maintain this level of combat for as long as three hours. The absolute best part, however, was that, as he was an instinctively inventive person, he was prone to making up strategies on the fly, as were his clones. And when everything was over, he retained the memories of each and every strategy, concept, and idea that occurred to him. In a little under a week, he had made a revolutionary (to him) breakthrough; he realized that, depending on what part of the body you struck, you could make it move in different ways; strike the stomach, they double over, strike the ribs, they move _this _way, strike the neck they go _that _way. After a bit of experimentation, he'd managed to incorporate this into his Taijutsu, allowing him to force his opponent into making their own opening , allowing every hit that connects to lead into two or three that were nigh unblock able. He had dubbed his new form Uzuken, after the way he would often end up causing his opponents to turn around completely during a flurry of strikes.

Naruto drove a clawed hand through the chests of two of his Bunshin, before spinning around and kicking a Bunshin that was sneaking up on him in the jaw. He sidestepped, and swung his legs around, sweeping a nearby Bunshin's feet out from under him before grabbing a shoulder roughly, and bringing his jaws down on the hapless clones neck. He scowled as the flesh gave way to air. That was the only problem with the Bunshin they lacked blood! How could he kill himself properly if there was no blood? Naruto paused as the statement ran through his mind.

'_Does this count as suicide? Genocide? Masochism?' _He was brought out of his musings as a clawed hand drove itself into his stomach.

"Son of a bitch!" He swore, before toppling over.

'Poof'

The Naruto grinned as the other burst, before dropping low and leaping onto the back of the last remaining Naruto…and smacked face first into a tree.

"Thun oth a _'poof'_" The original Naruto chuckled as he dropped down from the tree, when there had been four Kage Bunshin left he'd replaced himself with a regular Bunshin and hid in the trees. He always felt it prudent to trick himself wherever possible, if you couldn't trust your self he found it made him all the more alert during his little 'sparring sessions'.

/Missed one/

Naruto spun around, his mind racing, only to be met with empty air, and the sound of Kori's laughter.

/Alert hunter? Stupid Mugen/ His companion chuckled, leaping up onto the branch to join him.

/Stupid Kori, good hunt?/

/Very, eat well tonight. You?/

/Nah, filled up on god-food/

/Little human shop? You're to generous/

/Must try it some time/

/Wear human three skins? No thanks/ Naruto chuckled, before bringing his hand up to his headband. He had been surprised to learn just how good of a substitute the hitai-ate was for a leaf, it provided a perfect focus point for his more complex techniques; changing into his fox form being amongst them.

Junjou Mugen scratched his ear before letting off a playful bark.

/Great Moon tonight, Kurui Tsuku wake up soon/

/Great One? Send my regards/

/Will do/ Mugen yipped once, before leaping off through the forest. True, he could dive into his mind just about anywhere, but he always found it easiest in the den, something about being surrounded by your own scent he supposed.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of water splashing could be heard as he made his way through the figurative sewers. A black nose sniffed the air; a fingered hand scratched his cheek. It was somewhat disorientating to be in the place; in his mindscape he existed in both fox, and human form simultaneously. If he tried to focus on any one part of his body, it gave him a serious headache, like trying to speak in two different languages simultaneously. So he found it best to ignore his ethereal state of being, and just focus all his attention of what he was doing, rather than what was doing it.

"**Welcome, Junjou Mugen. Have you succeeded in your task?" **Tsuku greeted the boy, already in his human form.

"Hai, Kurui Tsuku. I have obtained a kiss from ten humans, of alternating gender." Naruto said stiffly, as though giving a mission report. In truth, he'd been hoping for another exposure to the fox's chaotic chakra, and was a bit disappointed.

"**Good, only a kiss?" **Tsuku asked, raising an eyebrow, His tone suggesting something more.

"Well…I got a grope out of two of them, and one was in the process of removing her pants when I, that is, she fell unconscious." Naruto elaborated, rubbing the back of his head grinning as he reverted back to his regular, informal mode of speech.

"**Tch, lightweight. Was the drink good?" **The robe-clad redhead demanded, his arms crossed as though judging the boy's words.

"Alright at this one place…most of the other bars in town sell this weak stuff that tastes like a pig swilled rotten rice, then barfed into a cup" The blonde boy replied, scrunching his face up for emphasis.

"**Ha! The truly wise have good taste, they say. Did you experience much difficulty?" **The fox lord chuckled in amusement.

"Well, there was this one guy…He might as well have been blind for all the reaction I got. I was just about to give up when he asked me a riddle. Y'know, the one about the people going to market? Well, I said one, and he got all smiley and cheerful, and the like. I just went with it and we were exchanging riddles and all that, then I got a great idea, and asked him 'What can be given, taken, stolen and returned, but never taken back?'" The fox-boy presented his anecdote complete with waving arms and complicated gestures.

"**I think I cans see where this went…"**

"Right, so when he couldn't get it, I just chugged the last of my drink, grabbed him by the collar, pulled him over and landed a kiss right there! By the time he realized what happened I'd already left. I think he was kinda shy to tell you the truth, fast drinker though-ttebayo!" He ended the story by pounding his fist into his open palm for emphasis. Apparently, the man had been a _really _fast drinker.

"**Kukuku, strike when unguarded eh? An excellent ruse, you have done well, Junjou Mugen" **The red-haired demon said appraisingly. Naruto, in turn, beamed up at the being like a boy who'd been given a giant cookie.

"Ano-sa, ano-sa, will there be another assignment Tsuku-sama?" He asked excitedly, eager to please.

"**Iie, I had originally planned one additional task, but you performed better than I had expected. I feel that there is little left for me to show you in the ways of the flesh. Now, tell me about what else has happened to you" **Truth be told, the demon was actually privy to all the boys memories by merely wishing for it, a side effect of the assimilation process built into the Ikou no Gu he was sealed with, just like all the others. While Naruto slept, memories from the Kitsune's past lives filtered into the boy's head, for him to experience as though his own. Of course, the boy didn't spend all that much time going through the fox's reminiscences. Actually viewing only about an hours worth of different events per week. It was an amount mutually decided by the two as to prevent the boy's mind becoming to similar to Tsuku's. In the meantime, Tsuku found he preferred listening to the boy's version of events first, before experiencing them directly. It helped him to see things from the boy's perspective, uninfluenced by his own experiences.

"Well, Ino and Sakura had this big fight over a kunai Sasuke left in the academy training grounds, sometimes I think its unhealthy to obsess over someone like that"

"**And your obsession with spirals is much better?" **The fox countered, a smug grin on his face. A short while after coming into contact with the fox, the boy had had what could perhaps be described as an epiphany. He'd decided that, instead of letting his life be ruled by spirals; spirals representing both the leaf village itself, and the seal that adorned his stomach, he was going to rule spirals himself. Apparently it had been stewing in the boy's mind ever since he'd decided to become Hokage, or rather, when Tsuku had asked him to actually look for the true motive behind his decision. The rather blunt conclusion that he'd come to was that, one way or another; he always had, and always will, end up taking orders from someone, and that the only way to escape that was to be the one giving the orders. From there things had spiraled out of control, so to speak. It started with sewing the red spirals onto his jumpsuit, having stolen them from some spare jounin vests he'd found in storage. It then progressed to other things, he virtually never touched a kunai, preferring shuriken for everything. When someone pointed out that you couldn't use a shuriken in hand to hand combat he'd gone and found himself an even _larger_ shuriken; the Fuuma Shuriken, and had trained himself extensively in its use. He'd even started tracing spirals with his finger when he daydreamed.

"Hey, hey! My…'hobby', is no-where near that bad!" The young boy shouted at the taller redhead.

"**Did I say that out-loud? Keh, one should not be able to hear others think"**

"We're in my head, and your brain's leaking memories into mine, you expect me to not get some sort of side effects? By the way, what the HELL were you thinking with that blue haired chick?" Tsuku paused for a moment as he tried to discern which 'blue-haired chick' the boy was referring to.

"**Oh, her! All I wanted was a room for the night, when she said additional services were offered for a minimal fee I assumed she meant food and a bath, not THAT"**

"Yeah, well, I think I may have a fear of tortoises now" The blonde's eyes darted to the side as though he expected the dreaded reptile to materialize at the sound of its name. The elder-fox just laughed. It was amusing to say the least watching the boy's reactions to his various exploits. At one point he'd even ran in terror from every goat-like sound he heard. Fortunately, that only lasted a week as the one with the pineapple soon replaced it.

"Yeah we'll, anyhow, oh yeah! I graduated-ttebayo!"

"**You did? I thought you'd never leave that dreadful place. You'd expect being taught how to kill would be a bit more exiting. Tch, humans seem to find a way to make anything boring. Was the examination difficult?"**

"Difficult? Hah! All I had to do was make three Bunshin, three! I don't think anyone didn't graduate"

"**If an entire class successfully graduates, shouldn't there be more ninja around?"**

"Err…maybe they just let all the sucky ones die in a mission. Then again, they're really big on 'helping out your fellow Leaf-Nin' so that can't be right."

"**It would be a waste of resources to allow any shinobi to die, a failure can always be retrained, but a corpse is a lost-cause."**

"I guess they just send back the people who don't do good on missions then, shouldn't be too much of a problem, Dattebayo!"

"**That would make sense. What else has occurred? Surely your life hasn't gotten boring"**

"Well, Mizuki-Teme tricked me into stealing a really dangerous scroll for him" Naruto flinched as he saw disapproval flash across the fox-man's face.

"Ah, ah, I learned a really cool technique in the process. It's called Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, its like Bunshin no Jutsu but it makes real clones! Solid! Alive! Can do stuff, like think!" he gibbered, trying to cover up his obvious shortcomings. His efforts did not go wasted, as he saw a grin spread across his mentor's face.

"**True clones, you say? I'm sure you've found…all sorts of uses for them"**

"Yeah, they're great, they can…." His voice trailed off as he realized the implications of the question. "No, wait, its not like that! I only use them for training and investigation and-"

"**I assure you, Junjou Mugen, I will not judge you on what you do in your spare time. I would prefer it, however, if you would actually find a real mate, instead of just trying to do everything yourself. "**

"Wah? Mate? Why does everyone keep saying that? I got plenty of time to find a mate! After all, when did you claim your first mate?"

"**When I was sixty-seven Great-Moons old, and even that was leaving things a bit late"**

"B-but, that's so young! Isn't that rushing things?"

"**Vixen are fleeting, and quick to move on once the kits have been raised. Even if you mate for life you can't predict how long that life might last. If you want something, grab hold of it and never let go, and it is far easier to keep something in your grasp than it is to pry it from another's fingers"**

"So…what your saying is…that it's important I decide on a mate quickly so I get who I want, before someone else claims them and I have to either settle for second best or steal them away from someone they don't want to leave"

"**Exactly, life is fleeting. You said it yourself, did you not; beauty lies in motion. You must move quickly lest the whole world pass you by."**

"I get what you're saying I guess…"

"**I want you to at least evaluate and decide upon some potential mates. You do not have to take any action, I just want you to give it some serious thought."**

"Eh? 'sigh' Hai, Tsuku-sama"

"**Now then, was there anything else?"**

"Well, I met this kid called Konohamaru, he's the Old Man's grandson, anyhow, he saw me use Oiroke no Jutsu on Ojii-san, and wanted me to teach it to him"

"**Tch, if he's as young as you make out, I doubt he would be capable of doing so"**

"That's what I said, but he just kept on bugging me, so figured what's the harm in trying. Inari-sama help me, the Gaki actually learned it"

"**He did? Too what degree?"**

"Well, he got the basic image down. He still needs to work on the jiggle factor, and his proportions are a little off, but other than that he's got the technique pinned down"

"**I see…what a delightful incident. Have you instructed him on its implementation?"**

"I gave him the gist of it, and told him to come find me for more tips if he needed them. Oh yeah, you know that technique I told you about, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?"

"**Yes?"**

"Well I got this great idea, basically I combined it with Oiroke no Jutsu, it worked better than I could have hoped. I call it Harem no Jutsu"

"**A logical step, but a commendable one nonetheless. It adds to the surrealism, and dramatically increases the shock factor, causing the victim to lose their grasp on reality far more easily."**

"Right! That's what I said!"

"**You have certainly had a productive week, perhaps you deserve some sort of reward…" **Naruto's eyes widened with hope and greed, as Tsuku resumed his Great Fox form, unleashing the full torrent of his power. A slight trickle of drool dribbled down from the boys chin.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_A red fox darted out of the forest, and into the sleeping city. It was not even a blur as it sped across the rooftops unseen, and unheard. It paused and sniffed the wind before grinning and darting off. It seemed to pass right through a window as it leapt inside a darkened room. Still grinning, it silently approached the sleeping occupant and flicked its tail with glee._

_/Sweet dreams/ _

_the fox seemed to evaporate into the air, and vanished. A few moments later, the sleeping figure creased its brow in slight discomfort._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mina-everyone

Uzuken-swirl fist

Ikou no Gu-Tool of Power

Oiroke-sexy

Gaki-brat

Teme-bastard/bitch

Fuuma Shuriken-wind demon shuriken (its the big metal one that unfolds, as seen in Zabuza arc)

A/N: This is a lot more talking than I expected…I suppose I tried to demonstrate the different aspects of Naruto's life the co-exist within him.

I've been told I'm just dropping things out of no-where, so I'm trying to make my hints a bit more obvious, without being too obvious. It's kinda hard to hint towards someone's sexuality when the last time you saw them was before they hit puberty, or had experienced the events that factored into it. I Really hope I don't rush the NaruHina, oh well, hope for the best.

In case you hadn't worked it out yet, Kyuubi sleeps except for on the nights of the full moon, or 'great moon' as kitsune call it (something I just made up, would be worded as Otsuki probably). It is also when Naruto's demonic powers are most effective.


	11. The Saga begins

Chapter 11

The Saga begins

_A fox, darting through the wind, meets a wolf. Fox dances with a cherry blossom but is blown away by an aloft hawk. With nowhere else to go, the fox retreats to a sunny place. When the fox leaves, it encounters a familiar scarecrow_

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The classroom was already full of movement by the time Uzumaki Naruto entered; it made him smile to see so much hustle and bustle and excitement. After a few moments delegation he made his way towards a seat in the middle row. A squad of fan girls were there, arguing over the position that was oh-so-close to their precious Sasuke. Smiling through shuteyes, Naruto deftly weaved himself between the crowd, ducking under outstretched arms and stepping over piles of flesh until he arrived at his destination.

"Miss me?" He grinned cheekily

"Tch, Urusai, usuratonkachi" the dark-haired youth retorted.

"Hey, Sasuke, Those frilly panties you ordered arrived today, what did you want them for anyway?" The blonde asked loudly. His words almost seemed to echo throughout the classroom as all other conversation fell silent. Some were mesmerized by various mental images, while others were leaning on the edge of their seats hoping for another of the famous Uzu-Uchi fights.

"All the better to strangle you with, Dobe" The Uchiha said through gritted teeth.

'_Dumb blonde, we're being officially instated as ninja and he still resorts to such juvenile antics? If I killed him now it would probably save him a painful death later in a mission'_

"Aw, come on Sasuke. I think you'd look really good in pink, it'd bring out your eyes"

"…"

"'_Thunk'_" A fist descended on the blondes head just as he was about to make another comment.

"Itai-Itai!" The blonde dropped to the ground, clutching his head in mock pain. Although he would have liked there to be a bit more mock, and a bit less pain, that punch had hurt!

"Urusai Naruto-baka, don't say such things about Sasuke-kun" All eyes swung to Haruno Sakura; Sasuke fan girl and rival of Yamanaka Ino. Well known for her book smarts and dangerously short temper.

'_**Shannaro! If any-ones going to be dressing Sasuke pretty in pink its going to be me!' **_Unseen to the rest of the world, inner-Sakura launched into a lengthy tirade of things she would do to the Uchiha once she owned him. For her part, outer-Sakura did her best not to show the vivid images running through her head.

"Oi, Naruto-baka, stop making a scene" Nara Shikamaru drawled out lazily. "Why'd they go and make a loud-mouth idiot like you a ninja anyhow? "Mendoukusai…" His comment was accentuated by the constant crunching of chips, courtesy of the Akamichi Chouji, the Nara boy's burly friend.

At that moment Umino Iruka choice to make his appearance, and the class quieted down.

"Now then, I'm sure many of you are wondering why I had you gathered again a week after your graduation, instead of sending you off on missions immediately"

"No shit, Sherlock," A random genin shouted from the crowd. For his part, Iruka didn't even bat an eyelid. He wouldn't need to; he knew whom the wise-ass was going to end up with.

"The fact is that we have spent the last week going over your individual grades, and talents, and have assigned you into teams of three, to be taught by a highly skilled Jounin. Each team has been adjusted and balanced to suit the best of your abilities."

'_Three man teams? That means whoever our sensei is will have to split their time between us, or just lump us together and teach the same things to all of us'_

'_Oh, I hope I get Sasuke-kun'_

'_Tch, my team had better not hold me back. I can't afford to waste time because my team's incompetent'_

'_Come on, Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun'_

'_Alright, my team's going to be kick-ass!'_

'_Sa-su-ke! Sa-su-ke'_

"Alright then, Team one will consist of…" As the teams were read out, Naruto's mind drifted towards his latest mission from Fox.

'_I gotta pick out some potential mates? But I barley even know most of the girls in my class!'_

"Team Three is…"

'There's Haruno Sakura; she's always the fastest to learn Jutsu and chakra exercises. She seems nice, but only to Sasuke-Teme, the rest of the time she gets mad real easily, and she hits hard!'

"Team Four is…"

'_As far as looks go she's all right, she's got lean legs and decent muscle-tone, she lacks stamina though. I wonder if her kits will be pink as well?'_

"Team Five is…"

"_There's Yamanaka Ino, she's aggressive, bossy, and almost as loud as I am. Her chakra control is decent, but her Taijutsu is lacking. She's pretty vain, but that vanity isn't unfounded. She's probably one of the more attractive people in the class. She could probably benefit from some seduction training, if she doesn't mind that sort of thing'_

"Team Six is…"

'_Oh yeah, there's Hyuuga Hinata, she's quiet and soft-spoken, if not a little nervous. She rarely speaks up, and she tends to stutter occasionally. She's also probably one of the few girls not chasing after Sasuke…come to think of it she's helped me out a couple of times, with assignments and stuff, although she always runs away when I thank her. I guess she's bashful. It's hard to tell what she looks like under that heavy coat of hers, she's got a cute nose though, and a sweet smile. Really she's one of the kindest people I know. It'd be nice if she ended up on my team…'_

"Team 7 consists of Uzumaki Naruto…" At the sound of his name, the blonde's head instantly snapped forward.

"Haruno Sakura…" At the sound of her name, the pink-haired Kunoichi slumped forward onto her desk in defeat.

'_Why me?'_

"And Uchiha Sasuke" This time the blonde slumped forward, while the ecstatic Kunoichi cheered with joy. The dark-haired boy in questioned remained motionless throughout the whole process.

'_So much for that plan, I guess Sakura will be all right, but Sasuke? This is karma isn't it? Since I did all that stuff to him, he now has a shot at revenge. Why me? …Wait, Kakashi? Why does that sound familiar'_

"Alright, Sasuke-kun is mine! Love prevails!!" She cheered, taunting the crestfallen girls who didn't get the 'almighty sex-god Uchiha'

'_**Shannaro! Nothing will stand in my way!'**_

"…"

'_Tch, I got a fan girl and an idiot. Our Jounin-sensei had better be something special or else we'll be the laughing stock of the Ninja world' _The brooding teen shuddered as his mind was assaulted by the mental image of his team-mates, running around throwing ramen and love-diaries at their opponents. All the while, a fat-slob of a jounin sat back, pointing and laughing.

'_If that happens…I'm committing seppuku'_

"Your Jounin-sensei will be Hatake Kakashi. Team Eight will consist of Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino. Your Jounin-sensei will be Yuuhi Kurenai"

'_Hehe, all right! We got a cute girl!'_

'_I didn't get Naruto-kun…'_

'_My Kikaichu senses are tingling…I fear for the outcome of this organization'_

"Team Nine is still active from last year, so Team ten is Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, and Akamichi Chouji"

"What? Why am I stuck with a lazy bum like you?"

"Tch, Mendoukusai-Onna."

"'_Munch-munch'"_

'_Hey, weren't all our dads teammates? Oh well, that's the way the cookie crumbles'_

"Your Jounin-sensei will be Sarutobi Asuma. Your Jounin-sensei will be here to pick you up later in the afternoon. Don't be late."

"Hai, Iruka-sensei"

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, why can't you show me Naruto's house?" A one-eyed, silver haired man asked the Hokage.

"Simple. The boy's house burnt down several years ago". The Hokage replied, nonchalantly.

"Your saying he never moved into another place?"

"Well, even if I did find another apartment for him, it would only be a matter of time until the same thing happened again. And he said he'd found a place to live anyway."

"…Are you saying the boy's been living on the streets for seven years?"

"Oh my no. He lives, according to him anyway, in an expansive coppice territory, and has an overseer who checks in on him once a month"

"I wasn't aware there was such a place in Konoha"

"Oh, there's a couple if you look around"

"Hokage-sama, you realize that it could be potentially disastrous if he is needed for a mission and no-one can find him. I beg of you to stop beating around the bush and tell me where Uzumaki Naruto lives," The silver-haired Nin demanded.

"Fine, spoil an old man's fun. Follow me Kakashi"

XXXXXXXXXXX

As the students filed (fled) out of the classroom, many mumbling complaint about 'excessive and pointless footwork', a certain blonde ran up to a certain pink haired Kunoichi.

"Hoi! Sakura-Chan!"

"Ugh, what is it Naruto-baka?" She replied, her foot making several attempts to keep on walking.

"Well, I figured since you and me are on the same team, we should go out, get some ramen, and get to know each other better! I bet with a little persuasion we could even drag along Sasuke-Teme. Come on, It'll be fun, ne?" Unfortunately for a certain well-meaning blonde, Haruno Sakura tended to have selective hearing when her patience is tried. In this case all she heard was 'you', 'me', and 'go out'. The prospect of which did not sit well wit the freshly instated Kunoichi. The solution to which lay in the palm of her hand, or rather, the knuckle.

"Urusai, Naruto-baka!"

'_**Shannaro! Get your grubby hands away from me!'**_

The pink-haired girl brought her righteous fury down upon his ignoble skull, before storming off in a huff.

"Itai! What did I do? So much for building team spirit," The blonde grumbled, rubbing his new head-wound.

'_**Don't submit! Assert your dominance! Prove your place as the alpha-male!'**_

"Actually, our jounin-sensei is the alpha-male. Stupid brain. Still, I'm sure I've heard the name 'Kakashi' somewhere before…" As the blonde walked away, he caught sight of someone sitting in a window.

"Is that…Sasuke-Teme?" He squinted, trying to discern the still figure.

"Aha, it is! He isn't even paying attention! The idiot always lets his guard down during lunch." Visions of humiliation danced through the blondes mind as he evaluated the situation. He then recalled the current grudge score he held with the boy.

"The last thing I did was the thing with the clothesline…and that brought us up to…12-7 my favor, and it's been a while since the bastard made a move…I'd best not make him mad…I'll save these plans for when I get _my _revenge against _his _revenge. Okay, that sounds really stupid now that I say it out loud…I'd offer him some ramen, but the bastard brought his own lunch. Stingy bastard." The blonde pouted, as he tried to discern his own lunch plans.

"Iruka went off somewhere as soon as class ended…Oji-san's probably busy this time of day…maa, I don't wanna have to eat ramen on my own, it makes me feel selfish" As he pondered in though he spun around on a whim, and caught a glimpse of blue hair.

"Eh? Hey! Who's there?" He called out, slightly demanding. He caught sight of some movement and made his decision.

"Oi! Wait up-ttebayo!" He shouted, giving pursuit to the fleeing figure.

As the figure danced in and out of alleyways and crowds, Naruto found it increasingly harder to keep track of them.

'_Kuso, just _had _to hide in a crowd, didn't you?' _Just as he was about to give up, he saw another flash of blue.

'_There!' _Moving silently, he approached the now unsuspecting figure from behind…five steps…three steps…

'_Lavender?' _startled by the sudden influx of scent he tripped and fell straight towards the figure…who deftly stepped out of the way, leaving him to fall face-first on the ground.

"Itai, Itai, why does today hurt so much?"

"N-N-Naruto-kun?" I hesitant voice stammered.

"Eh? Oh, it's you Hinata-Chan! Why were you running away?" He asked, his earlier injury forgotten.

"A-a-ano…Training!" She all but shouted, desperately trying to cover up her observation (stalking).

"Eh? I guess being able to weave through crowds is a good skill to practice every now and then"

"H-Hai!" As Naruto picked himself up, he caught sight of a familiar landmark through the crowd, and remembered his purpose from earlier.

"Ne, Hinata-Chan, if you're not to busy do you wanna get some ramen? My treat-ttebayo!"

'_Is…is he asking me out? Is Naruto-kun really asking me out?'_

"I mean, that's if your not to busy, I mean, my team's off doing their own thing, and I prefer to eat with company…so…"

"I'd love to!" She exclaimed suddenly.

"…"

"I-I-I mean, I'd like that."

"Great! Come on, the stand's just over here. Have you ever eaten at Ichiraku Ramen before?" He said excitedly, grabbing her by the arm and running towards the humble shop.

"I-Iie, most of my meals are prepared for me at the Hyuuga estate"

"Oh yeah, you're in one of those big clans aren't you? It must be nice to live in such a large family," He said, sitting down on a stool.

"I-It's not all that great…sometimes it seems like the clan is valued more than the people within" She said quietly, as she sat down.

"That doesn't make sense, you can't have a clan without people. Oi! Ojii-san, one Miso ramen and…ne, what do you want Hinata-Chan?"

"A-ano…I'll have t-the shrimp, please"

"One Miso for the loudmouth, and one shrimp for the pretty lady, coming right up" Ichiraku Teuchi said, gruffly.

"Hey, you shouldn't insult your best customer!" The blonde shouted defensively. Hinata just looked on and giggled.

"So, who's your friend Naruto?" Ichiraku Ayame, Teuchi's daughter asked, a dark glint in her eye.

"Ne, this is Hinata-Chan, she's a part of my graduating year"

"Oh, and just who is she to you…hmmm?" She asked, wiggling her pinkie suggestively. The Hyuuga heiress blushed furiously while Naruto waved his arms about dramatically as if to dispel the very question.

"Oi, come on, we only just met properly today. Things like that take time, Dattebayo"

"Oh? So she's a 'work-in-progress?" The ramen girl asked, barley holding back her laughter. The girl in question felt her cheeks burning along with an urge to faint.

"Wah! No-no-no-no, you make me sound like one of those 'hit-men of sleaze' when you say it like that!"

"Naruto, you may be my best customer, but if I find out you've been forcing your intentions on a sweet young girl like this I won't hesitate to use your guts for ingredients!" Teuchi said, glaring menacingly.

"Like I'd ever do that! I can't even get to know someone without being called a pervert?"

"Don't play dumb with me, I've seen you sneaking off those 'Icha-Icha' books, Uzumaki" Naruto crumbled under the accusing glare of the old chef.

'_Ah crap, how did he find out about that? I can't tell him I was reading it for seduction tips…no matter what I say I'll look like a pervert'_

"Oi, and just how do you know about 'Icha-Icha' anyway-ttebayo?"

_'Yes, Safe!'_

"That's different," The old man said composing himself. "The problem at hand is that you're far too young to be reading such material. If you're curious about that sort of thing, you should have asked someone" Teuchi said, and odd grin upon his lips, Naruto's eyes widened in terror.

"Nononononononono. No! I'm not getting 'the talk' again! Never again! When I first got it I couldn't sleep straight for a week, the second time I was seeing spots for days, and the third I had an aneurysm. Everybody thinks _they _can give the talk better than anyone else, and that everyone else probably missed something."

"It's important for a young man to be well educated. A little knowledge is a powerful thing"

"Yeah, well the things I've learned I guess that makes me the most powerful being in existence." He said, crossing his arms and pouting, eliciting another giggle from the girl beside him.

"Don't listen to him, Hinata-Chan. As men grow old they become more perverted. Lucky for me I guess, or else my Jutsu wouldn't be as successful-ttebayo"

"A-ano, what Jutsu" She asked, curious to know how perverseness could make a technique successful.

"Ehehe, tell you what, ask me some other time and I'll show you. Somewhere with less _hard metal implements_" he stressed, gesturing towards a nearby ladle, and leaving the Hyuuga heiress confused beyond all reason.

"Alright, Ramen's up!" The chef said gruffly, placing the two steaming bowls in front of the couple.

Hinata watched in fascination when Naruto's demeanor shifted as the bowl was placed in front of him. His limbs, which had been previously tensed, relaxed and almost seemed to stretch, his exited grin shifted into a serene smile, as he licked his lips in anticipation. With a swift movement, he snatched a pair of chopsticks from the container in front of him and clasped his hands together in prayer. With a single, fluid action he opened his eyes and snapped the chopsticks apart, before diving into the noodles…and then he was normal again, slurping noisily and chewing through the carbohydrates at a rate of six knots.

The white-eyed girl blinked, trying to discern whether she really saw what she just did. When it became obvious that the blonde wasn't about to go through another saint-like transformation she sighed and began eating her own meal.

"It's good ne?" The blonde asked, between mouthfuls. Pausing to swallow she replied,

"It's…good. Very good" She admitted. Bother Naruto and Teuchi's grins grew wide.

"See, what did I tell you? Ichiraku Ramen's the best place to eat at in all of Konohagakure, Dattebayo!"

"H-Hai, I c-can see why you f-feel that way"

"So what sort of food do they serve you at the, _'gulp' _at the Hyuuga Estate?" He asked, gulping up a stray noodle strand in the process.

"A-ano, mostly fish…and rice, with v-varying sauces"

"Ah rice, can't go wrong with rice. They say money makes the world go round, but I say that was back when rice was used as currency," He said, before slurping up the last of his bowl.

"Oji-san, another!"

"Coming right up"

"So go on, what else do they serve you?"

"Anou…on special occasions we have m-matcha ice-cream, served with fresh s-strawberries"

"Eh? Don't think I've tried that. Where do you get your strawberries from?"

"…I…have a small garden which I tend to…I grow them there"

"Oh yeah…I know the one, the strawberries are really big, and juicy and…"

"…You've been on the Hyuuga estates?"

"Well…once…I kinda…sorta…snuck in late one night. But I didn't take anything, or do anything I swear! I just wanted a look around!" He pleaded desperately.

"I-it's okay, I b-believe you…a-ano…did you happen to see a f-fox there?"

"…Fox…?" He blanched, trickles of sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Hai, I think a f-fox has been s-stealing s-some of my strawberries"

"Err…really? I didn't see any fox's when I was there…"

"Sou desu ne…ano…h-how did you sneak p-past the guards?"

"Ehehe, well, I know you guys can see in the dark, and see all around you and stuff, but I noticed if you make a noise, then walk right in front of them, they're too busy looking off in the distance and through trees and stuff to bother looking three feet in front of them. That and its _really _hard to see orange in the dark. If it wasn't someone would have caught your fox by now, right? I'm…not in any trouble am I…?" He asked nervously.

"Ah! Iie, it's just if the guards couldn't spot you, who else haven't they spotted?" She said, gulping down the last of her broth.

"Hey, that's a good point, want another?" He asked gesturing to the bowl. She was about to decline when it occurred to her just how little she got fed at the Hyuuga estates. Not that they starved the girl by no means, but they did believe strongly in making a little thing go a long way, resulting in meals the size of morsels more often than not. Also, the more she ate here and now, the more time she got to spend with Naruto.

"I-I'd like another…pork this time" She said, sidling just a little bit closer to the orange clad ninja. For his part, Naruto pretended he didn't notice.

"Hey, Oji-san, one pork ramen"

"Coming right up"

"Still _'slurp' _I'd like to try your strawberries some time, I don't often eat sweet things."

"I-I-if you'd like" She stammered, blushing.

"Mostly I eat meat, fish, and the occasional vegetable you find in ramen. A…'high protein diet' you could call it, at least I think that's what it's called. Still, keeps me warm in winter."

"Mm" She said through a mouthful of noodles. Nodding slowly.

"Say Hinata-Chan…"

"Nan desu ka?"

"I was just wondering, you're jacket…"

"Nani?" She asked, clutching the heavy material subconsciously. The girl had always been sensitive about her jacket, and taking it off

"Isn't it one of those ones from the Sogekihei Armory?" He asked pointing towards the cream-colored jacket.

"Anou…I-it is…how could you tell?" She asked, tapping her fingers together nervously. Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"I got my jumpsuit modified into one the other week, I'm still getting used to it actually. Who'd have thought chain-mail would be so heavy?"

"A-ano…Tenshin-san said t-that it's to 'help build muscle strength, and p-prevent c-cuts and slashes'"

"Oh, so it works as both training _and _defense?"

"Hai"

"Hehe, who'd have thought we get our clothes from the same store?" He grinned, eliciting another giggle from the girl.

'_This is kinda fun…its not like in the bar where it feels like I'm being timed…its…relaxing'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're kidding"

"I'm afraid not, Kakashi-kun"

"And you say he's been living here for what? Seven years?"

"About that"

"And you think he's better off here than in civilization"

"Yes, Naruto has adapted quite well to living off the land"

"But aren't there…dangerous animals and stuff?"

"Yes, but no more dangerous than your average genin, think of it as living in a training environment"

"And his…'circumstances' have resulted in no detrimental side effects?"

"Well…he claims to prefer his meat raw, and he tends to get a bit exited on the full moon, but nothing serious"

"And what about…'it'"

"From what I can gather, the only impact 'it' has had on him so far is a will to survive, no matter what the cost"

"Is there any chance he might…?"

"None whatsoever, he can be quite possessive of those he feels close to, but that stems from a desire to protect them…which in turn probably stems from his possessiveness but it all works out in the end"

"And you honestly think this team can pass? Even if they have the Uchiha that won't mean anything in the end."

"I'll tell you this, don't underestimate Naruto. Ever."

XXXXXXXXX

Team Seven was not impressed, their sensei was no over two hours late, all the other students, and even Iruka had already left, and patience was drawing thin. Naruto was also sporting several choice bruises across his head, one for each attempt he made at sparking a conversation with Sakura, and shiny new kunai courtesy of Sasuke. Having given up on team communications he'd settled for sitting alone in the middle row and muttering to himself. All in all, blood was about to be shed.

As the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway, the three genin immediately tensed. Naruto's eyes closed as his hand slowly reached inside his jacket…

As Hatake Kakashi walked into the classroom, his instincts immediately warned him of danger. Wasting no time, he tore the nearby door right off its hinges and heaved it in front of him. Several 'thunks' could be heard, followed by a particularly loud one. Kakashi didn't blink at the extra large blade that had imbedded through the door, and stopped millimeters away from putting his other eye out. He let the door hit the ground with a crash and eyed his team.

"So then, does anyone care to explain why you felt it necessary to force this poor, hapless door," He gestured towards the battered wood, "To lay down it's life in order to protect me from," He paused and glanced at the projectiles embedded in the former construct. "13 shuriken, 5 kunai, and…a _Fuuma shuriken?_" He demanded. Adding extra emphasis to the extra large hunk of steal that had almost blinded him.

"I, you, that is, Naruto…" Sakura stammered, gesturing towards the blonde frantically. Kakashi turned to the blonde who still hadn't opened his eyes.

"Naruto?" The silver haired Nin asked.

"Well, Kakashi-sensei, you were unnaturally light, so team seven, under my initiative, assumed that the worst had happened, and that you had been killed by rogue ninja, who were planning on taking your form and killing all the genin graduates in an attempt to weaken Konoha for a future attack. When you entered, I launched exactly nine shuriken at the target, then Uchiha Sasuke launched five kunai, then Haruno Sakura launched four shuriken, and I then launched a single Fuuma shuriken. We did not, however, anticipate you using the door as a shield. If we had then the door would have been laced with explosive notes, as would the kunai." As he finished his explanation, Naruto opened his eyes in order to glare at his new sensei, however, the moment he caught sight of him, he promptly fainted. Eyes wide, and a slight blush on his cheeks.

Kakashi blinked.

"Well, my first impression of you guys is…actually I'm pretty speechless. Meet me on the roof in five minutes, and wake up captain sharp and pointy" The one-eyed Nin said before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

"I…I can't believe I just did that. M-my hand just moved on it's own, I swear! Now he'll think I'm some sort of violent troublemaker, I'm doomed!" Sakura wailed, as Sasuke leaned over and punched the downed Uzumaki in the jaw.

"_**Shannaro! He deserved it, it was awesome, and what sort of a team leader is late to their first meeting anyway?" **_

"Come on, just one more glass…oh you, teehee" Naruto giggled inanely, before sitting upright and looking around the room frantically.

"Uzumaki, whatever you do, do _not _tell me what you where dreaming about, _ever!_"

"Ugh, whatever, you don't wanna know anyway. Where'd Riddler go?"

"Riddler?"

"The guy with silver hair? Oh blessed Inari Daimyojin, he's our Jounin sensei? Oh I hope he doesn't find out…wait! I can use this! If I take the initiative it doesn't matter what was said or done, he's the one getting blackmailed! This can work!" The blonde said, pounding his fist into his palm for emphasis, only for another fist to pound into his head.

"Itai, why do people keep hitting me?"

"You keep saying weird things and talking to yourself, they're probably just trying to take out a crazy person"

"And why, Sasuke? Would _you _want to take out _me_?" Naruto flared. Sasuke just ignored the double entendre and started walking towards the door, snapping his fingers in front of Sakura and waking her up from her panic attack.

"Us. Roof. Now."

XXXXXXXXX

"Alright then, now that we're all together and unarmed" Kakashi said, making a point of glaring at a certain blonde who had somehow hidden the Fuuma shuriken back down his jacket.

"Why don't we tell each other about yourselves. Your likes, dislikes, dreams for the future, hobbies, whatever"

"Anou…sensei? Why don't you start?"

"Hmm? Well, my name is Hatake Kakashi, I have no intention of telling likes or dislikes, dreams for the future?? Well I have lots of hobbies," He said, smiling

"Picking up cute girls you mean?" Naruto said, before quickly clamping his hand over his mouth.

"Hmm? Well let's start with you pinky"

"Me? Well, my name is Haruno Sakura, my likes _'blush', _I dislike Ino-Bunta and Naruto-baka, dreams for the future…_'blush'_"

"This is Sakura, she likes perving on hot bishi, Dattebayo" Naruto translated, only to receive another belt to the head.

"Well, since your so talkative, how about you Blondie"

"Alright! My name is Uzumaki Naruto; I like ramen, hunting, and Inari Daimyojin. I dislike unnecessary cruelty, pointless killing, and people who can't take a joke. Most of my hobbies are probably illegal, and my dream for the future is to surpass the Yondaime Hokage and prove my worth"

'_Naruto-baka! talking himself up'_

'_Whoa, this kid's god issues'_

"Alright, and what about you little miss sunshine?"

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke, I have many dislikes but I don't really like anything, my hobbies are training, dream for the future? Well, it's more of an ambition. To revive my clan, and to kill a certain man"

'_I hope he doesn't mean me' _Naruto thought, squeamishly.

'_Great, I got a fan girl, a feral, and a kid whose life goal is to commit fratricide…fantastic…'_

"Okay then, your all unique individuals which is good, but enough of that. We will start your duties tomorrow"

"Alright! Duties! Duties…what kind of duties?"

"First, a little something with just the four of us."

"What? What?"

"Survival training"

"Survival training?"

"Why is our duty survival training?"

"…"

"I'm your opponent, but this isn't normal training"

"Then what is it? What is it?"

"Heheh"

"What's so funny sensei?"

"Well, no, its just that, when I tell you guys you're going to flip"

"Flip? I don't do tricks like that…"

"Of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will be chosen s genin. The rest will be sent back to the academy. This training is a super difficult exam with a 66 chance for failure"

"Youwaaah??"

"…no…"

"…'_gulp'_"

"Haha, told you you'd flip"

"Whaat? But then what was the point in graduating?"

"Well…that was just a test to see who had the potential to become genin."

"Why?? Why?? I worked so hard!!"

"Well, anyhow, tomorrow you will be graded on the training field. Bring all your shinobi tools. Oh and skip breakfast, else you'll throw up"

'_I have to beat a fully-fledged jounin? Even if I was going for killing blows I doubt I could do it. No! I came this far, I have to do it!'_

"The details or on this form" Kakashi said, handing out three slips of paper. "Don't be late"

"Will we really throw up?" Sakura demanded, clawing at her scalp frantically.

'_I-if I fail, I'll be separated from Sasuke-kun'_

'_Kuso, too much kanji…something about a duck?'_

XXXXXXXXX

As team seven wander away from the roof, Naruto was stopped by his possibly-sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Naruto, I feel it would be prudent to inform you, that whisker marks aren't a common feature on most people," The silver haired Nin said, calmly.

"Ahah…really?"

"So next time you try and pick up someone from a bar, you'd best hide those distinguishing features of yours a bit better"

'_Kuso, he know, he knows, he knows, he knows it was me!'_

"H-Hai Sensei!"

"Oh and Naruto, two more things"

"Nani?"

"One, teacher-student relationships are strictly forbidden, so don't try anything"

"Come on, I picked you at random, how was I suppose to know you'd be my sensei?"

"Nonetheless, that's the kinds of things you need to think of as a ninja. And two"

"Two?"

"If you tell _anyone _what I look like beneath my mask, I will not only kill them, I will hunt you down, cut off your tongue, rip off both your arms and legs, permanently dislocate your jaw with them then beat you to death with the wet end. Are we clear?"

"Eep"

"H-he's our sensei? I am so dead…so much for the blackmail plan." His hand reached up to stroke his whisker marks absentmindedly.

"Do I really leave these things on when I use Oiroke no Jutsu?" He murmured, before wandering off himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Usuratonkatchi-total moron

Dobe-dead last

Itai-Ow, ouch

Baka-idiot

Shannaro-no literal meaning, along similar lines as Dattebayo, but less childish

Kunoichi-female ninja

Bishi-abbreviation of Bishounen, which means 'pretty boy'

Mendoukusai- bother to do, tiresome

Kuso-shit, crap, feces, etc

Sensei-teacher

Nani? -What?

Nan desu ka? -What is it?

Matcha ice cream-green tee flavored ice-cream, as it is bitter is often served with something sweet

Onna-woman

Ano-err, um

Bunta-pig


	12. Trash

Chapter 12

Trash

_Around the scarecrow gathers the fox, the hawk and the cherry blossom. As the three sing and dance, the scarecrow tell a warning, and a story. The fox gets acquainted with a tree…_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

An angry looking fox could be found pacing back and forth in the forest, before it stood about two-dozen blonde ninja, each passing the time in its own way.

/Gah, win against stronger opponent? Ideas!/ He barked, the clones just gave him a sparing glance before starting to wander off. Snarling, Mugen leapt at one of the clones, biting into his jugular until he was forcefully dispersed.

/Pay attention!/ There was a few moments scrambling as the remaining Kage Bunshin ran around, getting into a quasi-box formation.

/Ideas!/ The clones glanced at each other sheepishly, murmuring amongst themselves.

"Well, Kitsunetsuki could probably do the trick, jut get him to walk off a cliff or something" A clone offered, hesitantly.

"You idiot! If we use any of our Kitsunepou it'll give us away! What a fantastic idea, first mission together 'Hey guys, guess what? I'm a demon'. Need a hand sharpening the pitchforks pal?" The Naruto next to him scolded, memories of the attack seven years earlier still fresh in his mind.

"Okay, so no Kitsunepou, not even a little one?"

/Iie, Jounin probably detect even faint demonic presence/

"Damn, well…all we have left is Henge no Jutsu,"

"Katachi Koutai no Jutsu, which is sooo much better," The other Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Bunshin no Jutsu and Kage Bunshin no Jutsu,"

"Kawamiri, which we suck at"

"Stupid log…"

"Oh, and Oiroke no Jutsu"

/Iie, opponent has seen Oiroke, will have minimal effect/

"Well…that's just about all the techniques we know, what about Kakashi-sensei? What do we know about him?"

/Alert hunter/

"He always covers one of his eyes…so he has a big blind-spot"

"That should help…he's tall"

"Thank you Doctor Science, anything else we didn't know?"

"He's _really _hot under that mask" A Naruto said dreamily. This was met with another chorus of agreement.

/Won't help us win/

"Yeah yeah…do you think we could pull his mask down at some point?"

"What good would that do?"

"No good, I just figured Sakura-Chan and Sasuke-Teme might have wanted to see something nice before they died"

/He won't kill us/ Mugen said, rolling his eyes.

"He's young, and fit. So we probably won't be able to just wear him out"

"Argh, lets face it, we know next to nothing about the guy"

"We're meant to be there in about an hour, I suppose we should get ready"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Naruto walked onto the training ground, he was mildly surprised to see his pink-haired teammate already there.

"Hoi! Sakura-Chan! You're here early-ttebayo" He grinned, waving energetically as he walked over.

"Oh, its just you Naruto. Have you seen Sasuke-kun?" She asked, glancing around for her 'knight in shining armor'.

"Eh? Teme's probably still putting on his makeup. I hear he's switched to a new hand cream, have you noticed" The blonde genin replied, a little bit too sincerely.

"Ugh, that's what I get for trying to talk to the village idiot" She groaned, slapping her forehead with her palm for emphasis.

"Tch, Naruto stop imposing your twisted sense of reality on everyone else" Sasuke said, walking onto the grounds slowly.

"Well speak of the devil, hey Sasuke-Teme, I hear they're having a sale on silk-laced panties if your interested. Half off-ttebayo!" Naruto said, laughing, ducking only just in time to avoid an airborne kunai.

"Urusai, Dobe"

"Aww, you're no fun," The blonde pouted, before wandering over to the three logs nearby.

"So, any sign of Sensei?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Kakashi walked onto the training grounds he was greeted by a slightly odd sight; Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke were standing exactly ten meters away from each other, and every twelve point three seconds, exactly, they would both simultaneously move five steps to the left; with the Uchiha fleeing and the Haruno chasing. In the meantime, his other student had a very large stick; and was tracing an ornate and rather complicated spiral design that spanned almost half the ground; a look of utmost concentration adorned his face. Feeling the need to be the 'ever sensitive teacher', Kakashi promptly Shunshin'd right into the center of it, kicking up a small dust storm in the process.

"You…you…!" He offered a smile to the hyperventilating blonde; ignoring the accusations of lateness spouting from his female student.

"Sorry I'm late, I saw a black cat on the way here and was forced to go around the long way to avoid it"

"Liar!"

"You…fool! You blew it up!! Damn you!! Damn it all to hell!!!" By this point the blonde was on his knees, bellowing his anguish to the heavens, and beating the ground with his fists.

'_Maybe I went to far…?'_

"Naruto, calm down and get over here" The silver-haired jounin ordered. The upset blonde complied, grumbling under his breath and kicking the dirt as he walked.

"No then, this timer," He said, placing a plain white clockwork timer atop a rock. "Is set to go off at noon. You three have that long to retrieve a bell each" He explained, pulling out a pair of silver bells and jingling them together. They went 'clink'

"But Sensei, there's only two bells, doesn't that mean one of us will miss out?" Sakura asked, desperately hoping the situation wasn't as complicated as it seemed to be.

"Quite right. When the timer goes off, the person who didn't get a bell will be tied to one of those posts over there as punishment" The jounin explained, gesturing over to the trio of stumps lining the edge of the grounds, before affixing the bells to his waist.

"Eh? That doesn't sound so bad"

"What's more, I have brought lunch for three people; myself, and the two who pass. The loser has to sit and watch us eat lunch in front of them"

"Hey, that's just cruel!"

"Finally, the person who doesn't get a bell will be sent back to the academy for another year." The silver haired Nin watched gleefully as various expressions of nervousness passed over his students faces.

'_Ah, I'd forgotten how much fun this was. I can't wait to give them the final punch line'_

"Come at be with intent to kill, otherwise, you'll get slaughtered. Any questions?" He asked. When no one said anything, he grinned and spun around, his fist crashing into a certain blonde Genin's face.

"Trying to sneak in through my blind spot? Not bad, but I didn't say go yet" He said, smiling as the orange-clad ninja crashed into the ground. As he turned around the Naruto next to his teammates dissipated into a puff of smoke.

'_Bunshin no Jutsu? But I saw him holding that stick, and I haven't taken my eyes off any of them'_

"Okay then, go!"

He felt mildly amused as the three-genin hopeful's disappeared into the trees.

'Well, it seems they've grasped the concept of not being seen' He thought bemusedly as he glanced around idly.

'_I can barley sense Sakura, Sasuke's significantly easier and Naruto…I can sense him, but he's moving in such a way that its hard to pin-point his location…I see he's done this before'_

Just as Kakashi was about to go looking for them, he felt all too unique signature of his blonde student approaching him from behind.

'_Not bad, a lesser opponent would be caught off guard…but'_ He ducked, just in time to avoid a cross kick to his back.

"Ninja fighting lesson 1, Tai Jutsu. Let me teach you about it" He said, while reaching into his pouch, Naruto leapt back and dropped into a half-crouch as he watched his opponent warily.

'_A weapon? No its…'_

Kakashi gave him a menacing look as he pulled out his copy of Icha-Icha paradise, opened to a dog-eared page about halfway through.

"Is that…the limited edition editor cut version of Icha-Icha paradise?" Naruto exclaimed, a fire in his eyes.

"Hmm? I thought you had to be a bit older to buy these" The jounin replied, coolly.

"Ehehe, what? They teach us Henge no Jutsu, and don't expect us to use it? Still! I thought only Ojii-san had a copy of that!"

"Well, Hokage-sama had finished reading it, and he agreed to let me borrow it. What a generous Kage we have"

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei" The blonde asked suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"Can have a bell?"

"Let me think about that for a minute…. hmmm no" He replied flatly.

"Well…can they?" Naruto asked, pointing behind the elder Nin.

'_Does he really think I'm going to fall for a trick like that?' _Kakashi deadpanned, only to feel the telltale breeze of movement coming from behind him.

'What? But Sakura and Sasuke are both still in the trees over there' He thought frantically as he darted to the side, a pair of hands narrowly missing the musical instruments on his waist. He was left no time to ponder, as he suddenly found himself being assaulted from all sides.

'_Ah, I see, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. I see the rumors of Mizuki's defeat were true after all. Only one thing for it I guess' _Grabbing two Naruto by the wrists he spun around, and sent them flying into the remaining two blondes. Three 'poofs' later, Naruto groaned as he picked himself up out of the ground.

"Ow…are? Where'd he go?" He glanced around trying to discern the location of his sensei, only to hear a menacing voice from behind him.

XXXXXXXX

'That's…the Tora seal! Sensei's going to use a fire Jutsu? He'll kill him!'

XXXXXXXXXX

"Konohagakure Hidden: Taijutsu Ougi: Sennen Goroshi!!!" One particularly violent ass-poke later, Naruto found himself flying through the air.

'Gah, that technique…so powerful'

There was an audible splash as Naruto crashed into a nearby river, followed by a muffled gurgling.

XXXXXXXXX

'By the Kami…our sensei's…some kind of freak!' 'I…am surrounded by total morons'

XXXXXXXX

"Ah, best gambling debt I ever cashed in…I wonder were my…oh" The Jounin was interrupted as a barrage of kunai and shuriken embedded themselves in his skull.

'Did I…'

"'_Poof'_"

One log later, Sasuke found himself stuck with his position compromised.

"Kuso, Kawamiri no Jutsu, He left himself open. Where is he? I can't believe I fell for a trap like that!" The dark-haired youth grumbled, before darting off into the undergrowth.

XXXXXX

As Sakura darted through the branches, she suddenly found herself less than a meter away from their target.

'Sensei? He hasn't noticed me yet! Now's my chance'

"Oh Sakura…" A whimsical voice from behind her called out. She turned around, to find herself face to face with the wayward jounin. Her eyes took on a glazed expression as leaves swirled around her, chakra burrowing its way into her brain.

"Ninja fighting lesson 2, Gen Jutsu."

"_Huh? What is this?" She said out loud, one minute she'd been staring Kakashi in the eye, the next he'd vanished and everything had changed._

"_S-Sa-kura"_

'_That sounds like'_

"_Sasuke-kun!" She exclaimed, only to shirk back in horror at the sight before her._

"_Sakura…help…me" Sasuke begged, a multitude of weapons embedded into his flesh, marring his beautiful features, one of his feet twisting off at an odd angle, one of his eyes bloody and unseeing._

"_S-Sasuke? He did this to you?" She asked, her voice wavering._

"_**Who dares hurt my Sasuke!??" **_Inner Sakura bellowed.

The world around her shattered, and she found herself panting on the ground.

"I-it was just a Gen Jutsu…just a Gen Jutsu" She rubbed her throbbing temple before crawling to her feet.

"T-this is bad…I need to find the others!" She exclaimed, running out back towards the clearing.

XXXXXX

'Oh, she was able to break out of a Gen Jutsu of that level? Perhaps she has potential after all…' XXXXXXX

"Oh, there you are Sasuke" Kakashi said, leaning nonchalantly against a tree, reading his book.

"It seems a sneak attack on you is doomed for failure" The dark haired youth said, cynically.

"Hmm?"

"But then, I'm not like the other two" He said, confidently.

"Say that after you get the bell"

"Reclaimed as the most powerful clan in all of Konoha, the Uchiha. This should be interesting"

Sasuke simply smirked, before launching a barrage of shuriken at his teacher.

"You should know by now that such head on attacks are pointless," The silver haired Nin reprimanded, as he deftly jumped out of the way. He only just noticed the rope the moment it was cut.

"A trap?"

He leapt up onto a tree branch, narrowly avoiding the hail of knives hidden in the bushes.

"Not bad, but-" He was interrupted as he was forced to block a sharp kick to his mid-section. Leaving no time to second-guess, Sasuke immediately broke out into a barrage of kicks, and strikes. Each one blocked in turn. Spotting an opening, his hand darted out, brushing past the bells softly as they rose with Kakashi's momentum.

'Kuso, so close!'

XXXXXXXX

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura called out, wandering about the logs.

"Ohaiyo, Sakura-Chan" Naruto said happily, as he squeezed the water out from his clothes.

"Naruto! This is no time to be doing laundry!"

"Ah, Ah, don't worry. Ne, Sakura-Chan, you don't know any Nin Jutsu besides what they teach at the academy do you?" He asked, hopeful for some secret attack he didn't know about.

"Iie, all the Jutsu scrolls are restricted to non-ninja. The only ones who would know any extra techniques would be the ones from clans. Why?"

"I'm working on a plan…you can do kawamiri good, though, right?"

"Yeah, what makes you think this plan of yours is going to work?"

"Coz I still have one ace in the hole, and that is the key to our victory!" He said, assuredly.

"Wait our?"

"Yeah, but we need Sasuke-Teme as well, knowing him we've only got a few minutes until he blows it, follow me!"

XXXXXXXXX

"Well, I'll admit you're certainly different from the other two" Kakashi said, as Sasuke knelt, panting on the ground.

'_Kuso!! I only have one chance, if I do this technique I might be able to knock him out, but I'll be out of chakra. If it fails, then I fail…if only I had a contingency plan' _The Uchiha rose, slowly to his feet, he was just about to move his hands when…

"Oi! Sasuke! The cavalry has arrived!" Naruto shouted, as he leapt down from the trees.

"Naruto, you fool! Get out of my way!"

"Eh? Well, if you insist, hey, why don't you try that thing you used to do by the lake?"

"You idiot, that's what I was going to do!"

"Well, good luck, Sasuke-Teme" Naruto waved, before disappearing into the trees.

'Tch, Dobe, what was the point of that?'

'_Technique by the lake? I wonder…'_

"Bah!, Mi, Tora, Saru, I, Uma, Tora, Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" As he finished the seals for the technique, the Uchiha inhaled deeply, causing his chest to swell up.

'What? A genin shouldn't have enough chakra to do perform a Jutsu like that!'

A colossal fireball scorched the ground as Sasuke launched his technique. As the smoke cleared, he glanced around, trying to locate his Sensei.

'Where is he? Left? To the side? Above?'

"Down here Sasuke" The youth flinched as he felt a hand clasping around his ankle, only to stagger as he was pulled under.

"Doton: Shinjuu Zanshuu no Jutsu!" Sasuke scowled at his sensei's feet as he struggled to move.

"Ninja fighting lesson 3…well your already heads above the rest in that department. But hey, they say the exposed nail should be hammered in so…" As Kakashi turned to walk away, he suddenly sensed innumerable chakra signatures all around him.

"Could this be…" His eyes widened in surprise as a whole horde of Naruto came flying out for the trees.

'Naruto??'

The Jounin swerved, dodging and attacking the countless blondes, but for every one he dispersed, two more took its place.

'_Tch, I guess I'll need to finish this quickly' _He clasped his hands together in a hand seal, only to feel a sudden weight on his back.

"What?"

"Hehehe, hey Kakashi-sensei" As he struggled to throw off the genin on his back, more Naruto's leapt on him, restraining his arms and legs, and preventing all movement.

"Alright, Katachi Koutai no Jutsu!!" There was a poof, and suddenly Kakashi found himself restrained by colossal iron chains, that seemed to actually be rooted into the ground.

"Well this is an odd technique" He commented, ignoring the jabbing metal in his spine. "But…" There was a poof and suddenly it was Sasuke trapped in the chains.

"Dobe, let go of me!!" The Uchiha shouted indignantly. Just as Naruto dispersed the technique, the buzzer on the timer went off.

"Well, well, well, I must say, you put up a good fight. But it seems none of you got a bell in the end."

"That's not true, sensei," Naruto said, pointing to one of his clones. The clone grinned, and 'poofed' back into Sakura who was holding a bell in her hand proudly.

"You were so trying to break free, you didn't notice me switch with one of the clones, grab a bell, then switch back.

"What about the other bell?"

"You shouldn't leave these things lying around you know, sensei" Sasuke smirked, holding up a bell as well. "You'd never guess what you find at the bottom of a hole," He said, gesturing towards the pit that he'd been buried in.

'I see…so back then it must have came loose…I got careless'

"Well, I must say I'm impressed. And, as promised, Naruto! On the stump!"

"Aww!"

XXXXXXX

"Man, you guys look hungry" Kakashi commented off-handedly.

'Baka-sensei…making me skip breakfast'

"So, does anyone care to tell me the reason that you guys passed?'

"Err, what do you mean Sensei?"

"What was the decisive factor in your retrieval of the bells?"

"Well…I caught you off guard when you where still thinking about Sasuke…then Sakura-Chan snuck in while you where worrying about me…" Naruto offered, trying not to eye the box lunches.

"Exactly! Teamwork! The three of you working together were able to steal these bells out from under my clutches, a ninja many years your superior."

"But…how can you say the test is about teamwork when there's only two bells? Even though we worked together, Naruto still failed! Where's the teamwork in that?" Sakura exclaimed.

"Exactly! The test is designed to make you fight amongst yourselves. The purpose is to see whether you can forget about your own interests for the sake of your team, and for the mission."

"But-"

"There is a reason we work in groups of three. Sure, individual ability is of utmost importance to a ninja, but it is through teamwork that you accomplish what you would be unable to do on your own. Individual play that disrupts the team can put your comrades in danger, even risking your lives. Tell me Sakura, when faced with the choice of who lives or who dies, would you save Sasuke or Naruto?"

"I…well…that is…"

"You see, you can not value any one teammate over the others. You see this stone" He said, walking over to a modest rock carving, jutting out from the ground.

"On this stone is carved the names of Ninja who are recognized as heroes of the village, but"

"But…?"

"The reason they are called 'heroes' is because they died while on duty. Sacrificed their lives for the mission, the village, and their comrades." The one-eyed jounin said, solemnly.

"This is a memorial. My best friend's name is also carved here. One amongst many."

'_That stone…just how many of those deaths occurred…the day I was born? How many sins mark my passage into the world?' _The blonde genin glanced down in shame, all thoughts of food long forgotten.

"Tell me Naruto, it was your plan after all, who do you think should be sent back to the academy? Who do you feel the team could do without?" The jounin asked, eliciting a gasp from his team.

"You want me to choose?"

"I am the rules here, what I say goes! Now, choose the person to be sent back!" The jounin demanded harshly.

'_He's going to choose me, isn't he? I did the least, I don't know any powerful Jutsu…how could he not choose me?'_

'_My fate lies in the hands of the Dobe? He hates me, he enjoys seeing me suffer, how could he not choose me?'_

'_All that talk about the good of the team? Heroes of Konoha? What crap!'_

"Hatake Kakashi…"

"Hmm?"

"I believe…"

"Hmm?"

"That the person who should be sent back to the academy…"

"Hmm?"

"Is you!" A shocked gasp erupted from the throats of all present, had Naruto actually just demanded that their Jounin Sensei be sent back to the academy?.

"Oh? Care to explain?"

"Sasuke's a jackass, but he's still the strongest genin in our year, Sakura's really smart, and she knows lots of stuff most people wouldn't even guess about. If I sent back either of them then the team would suffer as a whole, and that would just be pointless. Know, I know I'm not someone worth making sacrifices over, but I also know that, if I sacrifice myself now, they would be much worse off than if I was there to watch their backs in future. Then we have you; you come out of no-where, wave your rank around, and expect us to jump? We don't know a thing about you except that you read porn every chance you get, and that's not very inspirational in a leader. So you can piss off, and we'll be fine on our own!" The blonde was panting by the end of his little tirade, his arms slumped with exhaustion but he never broke eye contact with the smiling jounin.

"Well…if that's the way you feel then I guess I'll just have to…PASS YOU!!" The jounin exclaimed suddenly.

"WHAAT!!??"

"Not quite the answer I was expecting, but I think you get the idea. You see, if there's one thing I can't stand its unconditional obedience. All the others would just do whatever I told them, straight to the letter. Pfft, morons the lot of them"

"But what's so bad about obedience?" Sakura asked

"It is a Ninja's job to see beneath the underneath, those who break the rules and codes of the ninja world are called trash. But you know what? Those who abandon their comrades are less than trash"

"You mean…?"

"Today's training is over. You all officially pass! Team Seven will begin active duty as of tomorrow."

"ALRIGHT!! I'm a ninja, I'm a ninja, it's your birthday" The hyperactive blonde cheered, dancing in his restraints.

"Lets go!" Kakashi said, leading his squad away.

"Hell yeah!" Sakura agreed, following him.

Naruto scowled as his team wandered off.

"How did I know this was going to happen? IN THE NAME OF INARI-DAIMYOJIN, GET BACK HERE AND UNTIE ME!! HEY!!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kitsunetsuki- spirit possession. a more lateral translation would be haunting

Kitsunepou- fox arts

five of the twelve hand seals:

Tora-tiger--------

Mi-snake ---------

Saru-monkey-----

I-boar----------

Uma-horse------

Goukakyuu no Jutsu-art of the grand fireball


	13. Twix Then and Now

Chapter 13

Twix Then and Now

_Restless, the fox goes to play with the old flame. When the old flame is elsewhere, the fox follows and listens in._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto was still scowling as he walked away from the training grounds, every few steps a rock was met with his unshakable ire, and a three-foot punt.

"Stupid team, leaving me on the post, all that talk of teamwork, why I oughta…" He continued mumbling to himself, as he shook his fist at the heavens, offending several minor deities. In a few days time, he would learn that; at that exact moment, a family of rabid hamsters had broken lose and chosen to devour his favorite cache of food.

"Great, now what am I supposed to do?" He wondered out-loud. "I had a really big breakfast, so I'm not really that hungry, its only about…one in the afternoon?" He guessed, haphazardly, squinting at the sun in an effort to discern the time.

"Well, at least now I know how to untie myself from ropes, I'm sure that will come in handy" He mused, both hands resting behind his head as he walked.

"Ah, screw it, let's go see Ojii-san, and then; training! Dattebayo!" With an exited shout, he sped off down the path, and straight for the Hokage's office.

As Naruto reached the tall, cylindrical building, he was dismayed to see that a small crowd had gathered around the base, forming a line that lead all the way inside.

"Ooow…. must be some announcement thing being made or something" He pouted, disappointed at being cut off from the man he saw as a grandfather. Dejected, he sat on a bench, across from the building, ignoring the glares, and underhanded comments as the gears in his head clicked away. Suddenly, and without warning, he leapt u of the bench and dashed into a nearby alley, a gleam of determination in his eye.

'_It's decided, I want to find out what's going on in there!'_ Several moments later, there was a muffled 'poof', and a red blur shot out from beneath a garbage can.

'Okay, people from entrance, probably all the way to Kohonoo-san, will be hard to remain unseen' Mugen thought to himself, crouching behind a tree. Spying a bird sitting in a tree, a cheeky grin spread across the young fox's face.

/FLEE!/ A sharp, succinct bark issued from the fox's throat, startling the bird and causing it to take flight, quickly followed by its neighboring brethren who either also heard the warning, or else wanted to join the party.

As the people turned to look at the rising birds, with a few poetic comments being made, no one noticed the streak of red as a certain fox darted through the doors. Once inside, Mugen quickly darted into a nearby dark corner, his presence concealed by the dim lighting.

'_This isn't like last time, If I get caught I can't just take out all the guards, 100 concentration' _His tail quivered with excitement as observed the room through slit eyes. His ears twitched occasionally as his sensitive ears picked up on all sound around him; footsteps, coffee cups, voices, he could even hear a small family of mice chattering away in a rotting segment of the wall. His nose twitched every few seconds, renewing the flow of olfactory information constantly. When it came to scent, foxes missed nothing, being some fifty times greater than a human's, Mugen could quite easily distinguish not only every person in his vicinity, but also what they had for breakfast, their choice in toothpaste, even what brand of coffee they'd spilt on their undershirt the night before. Coupled with the sensitive whiskers that adorned his face, and wrists, capable of detecting even a negligible breeze, Mugen more or less knew everything that was going on around him, save the peoples very thoughts, but _that _was easily discerned through observation anyway.

The very second no-one was looking his way, Mugen darted from his corner into a nearby vacant storage closet, concealing himself behind a pile of boxes.

'_Phase one, complete. Now initiating phase two' _There was a 'poof', and Naruto emerged from behind a box, gently nudging the door shut as he did so. Without wasting a second, he quickly assembled a makeshift stepladder from the wooden crates, and crawled into an overhead air vent, being careful to shut the hatch behind him.

True, if it was night, then it would be a simple matter of turning invisible, then walking through the walls. Unfortunately for him, it was the middle of the day, and without the power of the moon, the majority of his kitsune abilities where rendered moot. Those that he could use where better suited for distraction rather than Infiltration meaning he had to do things the hard way.

Resisting the urge to hum a catchy tune (The downfall of many a would-be spy), Naruto diligently made his way through the cramped crawlspace. Grateful, for once, for how underprivileged he was in the height department.

Several minutes' worth of physics defying acrobatic feats later, Mugen found himself overlooking the Hokage's office, his sensitive ears pricked to detect the conversations therein. A small crowd of about a dozen or so ninja stood assembled, each one taking turns talking.

"Now then, Kurenai-san, how would you say your team did?" The unmistakable voice of the Sandaime Hokage asked.

"Inuzuka Kiba, although brash and arrogant, possesses good Tai Jutsu skills, and has a good nose on him. Aburame Shino, although somewhat anti-social, appears has a strong connection with his hive, and is a capable and levelheaded thinker. Hyuuga Hinata, despite some moderate character flaws, has a keen eye for detail, and is capable of performing Jyuuken to a proficient degree. I believe they will make a successful tracker team, and recommend them for passing" The speaker was a moderately young, dark-haired woman, who spoke with confidence, and just a hint of self-assurance.

'_All right! Go Hinata-Chan!" _Mugen silently cheered for his demure friend. 'And good luck with Inu-Ieme!'

"I see, and now Asuma-kun, if you will" Snorting slightly at the '-kun' a gruff looking man who bared a slight resemblance to the Sandaime stepped forward. He had a dark goatee, not unlike the Sandaime's own, and had a cigarette sticking lazily out of the side of his mouth.

"Yeah, yeah, lets see, the girl, Ino was it? She's got a set of lungs on her that would put a mortally wounded buffalo to shame, good sprinter though. The fa…err Akamichi Chouji," He said, glancing nervously at an Akamichi standing behind him intimidating. "He's…pretty dangerous if you get him riled, or otherwise motivated. The other one…Shika-something or other, well he…'endeavors to minimize energy expenditure unless drastic measures are called for' is what he said…that pretty much sums him up. Considering that they'll be learning their various family techniques they'll be a pretty decent capture and detainment team. Sure, pass them" The man said, before stepping back. The Sandaime frowned at his son's negligent attitude but dismissed it for the time being.

'Hey…the Idiot Trio passed, who'd a thunk it?' Mugen smirked to himself. Clearing his throat, the aged Hokage stepped forward.

"Well then, since that's everyone"

"Maa, Maa, did you start without me?" A new voice spoke, his voice cheery and unassuming.

"Kakashi-kun, I assumed from you're absence that you'd failed yet another team of hopefuls. Are you here to confirm that, or did you get lost on the way to somewhere drastically more urgent?" The Sandaime asked, earning a small laugh from the mini-crowd.

"Good one, as a matter of fact I came to inform you that my team passed" More laughter, this time louder could be heard.

'Eh? Why are they laughing?'

"I'm serious" An awkward silence followed the statement, quickly followed by hushed murmurs.

_"But wasn't _that kid _on his team?'_

_"Surely it was the Uchiha who caused them to pass"_

_"Of course, as though the Uchiha could possibly fail"_

_"Look on the bright side, maybe _it_ will get killed on a mission"_

'_Okay, that I can deal with, but do they really say stuff like that about Sasuke? No wonder he hates his fan girls so much, it's like these guys expect him to steal the moon or something. He can't! It's my moon!'_ It is unfortunate how easily Naruto can get sidetracked when he's having fun.

"So you're team passed the test then?"

"With flying colors," The one-eyed nin smiled.

"Care to explain?"

"Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke each got a bell, Naruto was tied to the post" A general sound of confusion arose while the Sandaime just nodded sagely.

"I see, very well then. Team 7, Team 8, and Team 10 are hereby instated for duty. You are all dismissed"

As the various jounin filed out, the Hokage motioned for Kakashi to stay where he is.

"Was there something else, Hokage-sama?"

"Well, I was hoping you might give me a slightly more in-depth analysis of the first team to ever pass your test, now that everyone else has gone"

"Oh? Well who am I to deny the Hokage, eh?"

"Just get a move on, Kakashi-kun"

"Well, Sakura seems more or less fixated on the Uchiha, although she did express some concern of Naruto's well-being, it was overshadowed by self-preservation. Still, she has good chakra control, and appears to have a knack for Gen Jutsu which I intend to look into"

"Hmm?"

"Sasuke…well he's an Uchiha through and through, same pride, same superior attitude, its almost like the whole clan's trying to live through him"

"Unfortunately, the villagers seem to think he has a responsibility to actually _be _the Uchiha clan in its entirety, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to turn him into a one-man police squad the moment he makes Chuunin"

"Still, he has quite an aptitude for Katon Jutsu, he was able to use a high C-rank Jutsu without much problem, that's for sure. His Taijutsu is exceptional for his age, considering how much of it must be self-taught. Although he shows blatant disregard for his team-mates, which I intent to reprimand"

"I see, and Naruto?"

"Well, his Tai Jutsu, as much of it as I could see…was odd, I'm sure had I been hit more than I was, perhaps his aim would have become apparent, but the way it is it seemed to be refined towards an unknown goal."

'I see, so he didn't use his claws then…'

"He displayed…almost frivolous use of Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, I will have to measure his chakra capacity some time in future, he's already displayed a high level of stamina, but I've no idea just how high. Also, going by both his performance and what I know of his…_extra-curricular activities_, I'd have to say that the boy has a mastery of stealth, infiltration and persuasion not seen in this village for years" The way the one-eyed jounin said that made the Hokage's eyebrow rise.

"By '_activities'_ you mean?"

"About a week ago, utilizing a highly advanced 'henge', Uzumaki Naruto did what no man, woman, child or beast has done since I was old enough to walk and _successfully removed my mask!_" The way the Jounin said it caused shivers to run down the Hokage's spine.

"I…see"

"He has also exhibited detailed knowledge of things…no _child _should know, about the _facts of life_"

"So, the boy is merely showing a healthy interest in the finer things in life"

"I'm a little concerned he may…abuse his capabilities"

"In what way?"

"Chapter 17, paragraph 8" The Hokage's eyes widened in horror.

"You don't think-?"

"It's a very distinctive possibility"

"Are you-?"

"It's too early to say at this stage, but there's always a distinct possibility. After all, it worked for Zeus"

"But what would inserting a live hamster…" This time it was Kakashi's eye that widened in horror.

"Book 1, Hokage-sama, book 1!" He exclaimed frantically, waving his arms in the air.

"Oh I see…in that case there's nothing to worry about, I can assure you. Now the, ahem, the team?"

"Right, of course. I feel that, given their various capabilities, team seven would excel best at both escort missions, and infiltration missions…of _all _kinds…once they have suitably adjusted"

"That seems unusually harsh coming from you Kakashi"

"Whether or not it's the best course of action remains to be seen, I'm talking purely theoretical here, Hokage-sama"

"Very well then, I shall keep in under consideration in future" The aged ninja sighed. "That will be all, dismissed"

Kakashi offered a quick salute before vanishing in a swirl of leaves and a puff of smoke. The elderly Hokage sat down on his chair and sighed, taking a relaxed puff on his pipe in the process.

"So…Naruto-kun? Are you going to hide there all day, or do I have to declare fox season open?" The Sandaime seemingly asked the thin air. A few seconds later, Mugen came tumbling out of the air duct, covered in dust and coughing lightly, before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"You realize that eavesdropping on any ninja affair is a punishable offence, don't you Naruto-kun?"

"Waah, I'm not in trouble am I? I mean, if you didn't want to draw attention you shouldn't have had such a big crowd outside, of course I was going to see what all the fuss is about. It's your fault for talking so loud! Am I in trouble?" Naruto exclaimed, the corner of his mind wondering just how long the old man had known of his presence.

"Then again, all I found was a confused and scared fox that had somehow gotten itself trapped in the air ducts, am I right?" The Hokage asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"Ah, yeah! Yeah! There's no telling what you might find in a cooped up, old place like this"

"I'm glad you understand then, I'm afraid if I find any more foxes however, I may have to call in animal control. But it won't come to that will it?"

"No! No! Not at all, ever!"

"Good" The Sandaime leaned back and took another puff on his pipe.

"You realize you'll need to tell them about yourself soon. Your team that is"

"Yeah…but…do they really need to know? I'm not exactly 'Mr. Popular' to start with, Y'know"

"They're your team-mates, the people whom you will be entrusting your life to. Don't they deserve to know?"

"Well, yeah…I guess…but I don't want to just start waving my tail around willy-nilly, I gotta break it to them gently, yeah? Just…not now…when they trust me more…or when it's no longer worth keeping it a secret. Then I'll tell them."

"Everyone deserves their privacy, but secrets between friends can lead to strife later on, remember that Naruto-kun."

"Yeah yeah, I hear ya" The blonde shrugged brashly.

"So tell me, Naruto-kun, now that you've been caught, what's your escape plan?" The Sandaime asked bemusedly.

"Ehehehe, easy." Naruto laughed, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

'_I see, so it was a Kage Bunshin all along, you're getting cleverer Naruto'_ The Sandaime chuckled, before pulling out an innocent looking orange book.

"All work and no play make's Saru a dull boy, hehehehe"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Some distance away, in a forest, a blonde ninja paused as he felt new memories cramming into his head, that pause caused him to fail to deliver the finishing blow, and resulted in his getting head butted in the nose by his identical opponent.

"Ow, Stupid Bunshin"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ko-old

Honoo-flame

Kohonoo therefore, means 'old flame', he's referring to the Hokage

Saru-monkey, what the Shodai and Nidaime Hokage called the Sandaime as a genin (his name is Sarutobi)

Basically, how he refers to people as Mugen, differs from how he refers to them as Naruto.

The Zeus thing was a reference to a Greek myth, in which the king of the gods takes the form a woman's husband so he can have sex with her, which is what Kakashi was afraid Naruto might try to do.


	14. Like the Sun and Moon

Chapter 14

Like the Sun and Moon

_The scarecrow teaches the cherry blossom to think for other, the fox how to make them think and the hawk how to stop all thought. After a confrontation with the dog, the fox retreats to his sunny place, before introducing the sunny place to the twilight._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beneath the mid-day sun, three hunters silently stalked their prey.

"'Crrrrk-' this is Wild Fox, I'm in position, over" The voice was grainy, and muffled by static as it spoke out through the trees

"'Crrrrk-' this is Black Hawk, I've located the target, moving in to intercept, over"

"'Crrrrk-' Cherry Blossom here, I've cut off his escape route, over"

A pair of menacing yellow eyes glared at the trees around him, he could here his captures all around him, and it was only a matter of time until-

All of a sudden, an orange figure flew out from the undergrowth towards the target. Startled by the sudden appearance, the being turned and fled, only to find its path cut off by a looming red and pink figure. Trapped, the target immediately spun around and darted off between the two…right into the waiting arms of a third.

Holding the cat by the scruff of the neck, the last Uchiha glared into its beady little eyes with a murderous look.

"Sasuke-kun, you got him! You're so good with cats" Sakura elated, hearts in her eyes.

"Humph, The Uchiha have a family contract with Nin-cats, I know a thing or two about handling the things," He said, taking his attention away from the cat in his hands. Seeing an opening, the cat snarled and began attacking the broody boy savagely.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Wresting the brutal feline off his face, holding it away from him at arms length. The cat snarled and hissed at him, furious at having its escape attempt thwarted.

"Nononono, Sasuke you dumb bastard, you looked away, you do it like this" Naruto admonished, before walking up to the cat and glaring it in the eye. When the cat tried to swipe him he snarled back.

/Try to escape from me, or my pack…I'LL KILL YOU!/ It started as a low, rumbling growl, building up until it ended with a throat snapping bark. As the sound echoed through the woods, the cat stiffened before falling limp, its eyes rolling to the back of its head. Sakura let out a gasp.

"Naruto-baka, what did you do? You killed it! Argh, you've tarnished our perfect mission record, now what will we do?"

'_**Shannaro! Little Shit deserved to die anyway, all the crap its put us through!' **_Inner Sakura proclaimed, stirring up mental images of various modes of torture applicable to the wayward feline.

"Relax, he's not dead, he just passed out from fear, that's all." The blonde explained, offhandedly.

"Humph, shame. Where's Kakashi-sensei gone?" Sasuke said, trying not to reach into his kunai pouch.

"Well, knowing Kakashi-sensei, he should be here right about…. now!"

The sound of crickets chirping could be heard echoing through the small patch of woods. Twelve seconds later, their silver-haired sensei walked into the clearing.

"Yo"

"You're late!" The blonde exclaimed, while his two teammates looked on in puzzlement.

"Ah, gomen-ne, a runaway cart hit me on the way here, so I had to stop to rebuild it"

"Liar!" The accusation was met and countered by a whimsical smile.

"I you insist, I assume you caught the cat?"

"Yeah, say Kakashi-sensei? Are ninja allowed to commission missions?" Naruto asked, his eyes on the unconscious cat.

"If they can pay for it, anyone can request a mission. Of course, it requires the Hokage's approval before anyone can accept it."

"Coz I was thinking of taking out an assassination contract on a certain feline if it ever goes 'missing-neko' on us again" Naruto explained, a dark grin on his face.

"Ah, but to assassinate the cat of the Fire Daimyo's wife would be tantamount to treason, it would never get passed"

"Really? Crap"

"Well then, we should head back to the administration office, Shijimi-Dono is waiting"

XXXXXXXXX

"Operation: 'cat & mouse' successful, here's you're pet Okami-sama" Kakashi said, smiling as he returned the lost pet to it's…'plump' owner.

"Ow, my poor widdle snookums, did the big bad ninja man scare you? Owowowowow" The woman, Shijimi, gushed, squeezing the hapless cat against her bosom.

'_Stupid cat deserves it'_

'_Humph, no wonder it ran away' _as the woman turned and gave the payment to the cashier, the cat shot Naruto a pleading glance.

'_Oh, what the hell'_

/fake your death, and flee in the night/ The cat shot him a glance full of gratitude for the idea.

"Eh? Naruto do you have a cold? That's a nasty sounding cough you've got there," Sakura said, edging away in case he was infectious.

"Nah, I think the dumb cat gave me a fur-ball, 'cough cough'-ttebayo" Naruto grinned, 'coughing' into his hand,

"Indeed, will you're team be taking any more missions today, Kakashi-kun?" The aged Hokage asked.

"Nah, they got training now, we'll just take the pay for today and go" The one-eyed Nin stated, motioning towards the general direction of the training ground 7.

"Very well, here are you're receipts, cash them in over there like always" The Sandaime said, handing Kakashi a wad of paper dockets.

"Thank you Hokage-sama"

"Yeah, see yah Ojii-san"

Quickly cashing in their paychecks, the members of Team Seven made their way down from the administrative building. Sakura shot Naruto an odd look as he deposited his entire payment into his jacket pocket, jingling slightly as the coins brushed against one another.

"Hey, Naruto"

"Nan desu ka, Sakura-Chan?" He asked, patting the pocket absentmindedly.

"Why do you insist on being made in coins anyway? Isn't it conspicuous to walk around sounding like a rattle all day?"

"Because coins are shiny, and since when did I jingle?" He replied, notably _not _jingling as he walked.

"Eh? How can you not make a noise?"

"Well, I lost my wallet a couple years ago, and never got around to buying a new one, so I found a cool replacement-ttebayo" He said, hands behind his head.

"What replacement?" She asked, her curiosity piqued. The last Uchiha made what sounded like a groan and began walking faster, trying to get out of earshot.

"Well, Y'know how you can seal stuff in scrolls and that,"

"Wait, you know Fuuin Jutsu?" She demanded, trying to grasp the fact that the class idiot knew a relatively advanced skill like sealing.

"Not that much, I'm working on it though, I still can't seal anything larger than a Fuuma shuriken, although I think the medium I'm using helps a bit"

"Medium? What medium?"

"Well, I kept running out of paper, and ink, so I just painted the seals on my body, using my blood. I have them right inside my pocket, see?" He explained, turning out his pockets to reveal holes at the bottom. He channeled a bit of chakra to his sides, causing a pair of black crosses with swirling tips to appear on the exposed flesh, surrounded by smaller markings.

"I keep all my stuff in these things, tools, emergency rations, ink and paper, I think I got a Rubik's cube somewhere in there as well, stupid thing's rigged-ttebayo, I swear" He said, scowling at the thought of the accursed cube, if only it were round he would find it that much easier.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive" The pink-haired Kunoichi admitted, honestly impressed by the feat.

"Nah, most ninja can do basic sealing by the time they're Chuunin anyway, considering I've been working on it for a few years now my progress is pretty bad, d-rank sealing is the best I can manage, by now I'm supposed to be able to do at least b-rank-ttebayo" He admitted, causing the Kunoichi's opinion of the blonde to drop back to what is was before.

"Humph, I bet Sasuke-kun could master sealing in a month" She proclaimed, ignoring the muffled groan coming from the Uchiha in question, and the scowl on Naruto's face. After remembering her long-time crush, she quickly ran up to beside the dark-haired youth, ignoring his attempts at escape.

'_Great, now she thinks I'm an even bigger idiot. Stupid modesty'_

'_Hmmm? Naruto can do basic sealing? And he claims to be capable of using blood as a medium, and his own body as the conduit? Not often seen in a genin, I might have to take a look at his work sometime. As long as he doesn't get any ideas about tampering with _that_ seal' _Kakashi let out an audible hum as he read from his beloved orange book, giggling every couple of seconds.

Naruto's scowl was quickly swapped for a grin as he caught sight of a familiar face.

"Hoi! Hinata-Chan!" He exclaimed, running up to his shy friend and waving to her as she came up the stairs.

"N-Naruto-kun?" She stammered, caught off-guard by the blonde's sudden appearance.

"Eh? Naruto? What about the idiot?" Kiba said, walking up behind the girl. He smirked as he laid eyes on fox-boy.

"Oh, hey Kitsune-baka, what's wrong with you? You look like you just went swimming in a compost heap," The dog-boy laughed. Naruto glanced down, realizing that he was still covered in dirt and leaves from crawling after the cat.

'_**Arrogant fool, rip his tongue off!' **_Ignoring the input of his Oni-Zenshin, Naruto matched Kiba's smirk with a grin of his own.

"Yeah, I was doing a little test, and it turns out you_ do_ smell worse than a pile of horse-shit. I'm hoping to publish my research in _Konoha Science Weekly_" As the two youths glared at each other, Hinata sweat-dropped at the rising tension in the air.

"So, Hinata, how have things been?" Naruto asked

"Ano, T-they're alright". She stammered, looking from the Naruto beside her to the Naruto staring down her canine teammate and his dog.

"Ehehe, Kage Bunshin. These guy's are awesome. Well, they are me anyway so of course they are" Naruto laughed, rubbing the back of his head absent-mindedly.

"I-I see…" She said, unsurely.

"Yeah, I can make hundreds of them if I need to, it's the greatest" He nodded, his mind filled with scenes of epic battles. As the information settled into Hinata's brain, she blushed furiously, her mind filled with slightly _different _scenes of equally _epic-proportions_.

"Ne, Hinata-Chan? Hello?"

"Wah! I-I mean, w-what?" She stammered, fighting to keep her blush, and her r-rated thoughts, down.

"Ne, I was just wondering if you where free this afternoon? I mean, if you weren't busy or anything if you wanted to just, hang out and stuff, Y'know" He asked, his hands trailing off to the sides as he elaborated his explanation.

'I-is he asking me out?'

"Naruto! There you are. You shouldn't abandon your team-mates like that," Kakashi reprimanded, walking in from around the corner. "Ah, Hinata-Chan wasn't it? I suppose you're here with you're team for missions then"

"H-Hai, ano…Kurenai-sensei is just picking them up for us, S-Shino-kun got called away by his father earlier so he's meeting us here. M-Me and Kiba-kun where looking for him when we m-met up with N-Naruto-kun" She explained, motioning towards the two blondes, one of which had the Inuzuka in a headlock.

"Hmm? Well then, lets not detain you. Come on Naruto, you're team is waiting for you"

"Yeah, yeah, geez, you make it sound like I left them to die-ttebayo"

"Well, what if they were attacked while you where away, and died because the two of them weren't strong enough to hold off their opponents"

"Okay, okay, I get it. 'Don't leave your team behind'-ttebayo." The blonde grumbled as he followed after his teacher. Just as he was about to descend the stairs he quickly called over his shoulder

"Ah, Hinata-Chan, about this afternoon?"

"A-ah…Hai! A-ano…Ichiraku at four?" She replied hesitantly, trying to remember her schedule.

"Great, See yah there, OI ME! Time to go-ttebayo!" He shouted at the clone, which was currently being held in a submission move by the dog-nin. An abrupt 'poof' later, the Inuzuka hit the ground with a thud.

"Ow, hey, where'd he go?"

"A-ano…" He started, trying to think of a way to explain it to the dog-boy, "N-Never mind, l-lets go find Shino-kun" She said, before darting off down the hallway, blushing at the thought of her 'date' with Naruto.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto cringed as he stepped onto the training field, anticipating the shouting his arrival heralded.

"Naruto! Where were you?" His pink-haired teammate demanded. Some distance next to her stood the last Uchiha, and a little ways away; leaning on a tree was their smut-obsessed sensei.

"Aw, come on, I was only gone a couple of minutes. Look on the bright side, I gave you more time to ogle Sasuke-Teme"

'_**Shannaro! Time well spent to!'**_

"T-that's beside the point. What were you doing anyway?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just talking to Hinata-Chan"

"Hinata-san? Since when where you and her that close?" The pink-haired Kunoichi demanded, her hunger for gossip piqued.

"Eh? We met the other week, and had lunch, and we just kinda…hit it off-ttebayo"

"What would a sweet girl like that want to do with a freak like you?" Sakura demanded, jabbing an accusing finger at the blonde.

"You're so mean, Sakura-Chan. I'm not all that bad, if I was I'd post pictures of Sasuke-Teme naked all over Konoha"

"Ugh, you…wait, do you even have those pictures?" She asked, an odd gleam in her eye.

"Nah, Sasuke-Teme burnt them last semester. Took me all week to get him drunk too"

"Well, you shouldn't go blackmailing people like that anyway" She admonished, ignoring the inane ranting of 'Inner-Sakura'.

"Now that we're all here, we can begin today's training." The silver-haired Jounin explained.

"Alright! Training-ttebayo!"

"'Ahem', Now that you've all completed the tree-climbing exercise" He said, glancing at the slash-marked trees that denoted the weeks earlier efforts. "I can begin teaching you in earnest, now, since you're not all the same person, I'll be teaching each of you different things" He finished by forming a hand seal, one that was all to familiar to a certain orange-clad genin.

'That's-'

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" A moment later the Jounin was joined by two identical clones, each sporting the same little smile.

"What, you didn't think that you where the first person to learn that technique did you Naruto?" One of them said, earning an irritated 'humph' from the genin in question.

'_Aaww, just how many people know that technique? Bah, I bet I could make more than him'_

"Alright, each of you get one Kakashi, try not to break him" One of them said, before giggling. When no one else laughed he shrugged and began leading Sakura away. Another took Sasuke, and the third took Naruto.

XXXXXXXXXX

_With Sakura_

"Now then Sakura, from what I've seen of you, you have extremely good chakra control, but low stamina. We'll change that in a little while, but for now I have just the technique for you" Kakashi explained, putting his book away.

"Really? What is it?"

"It's a Gen Jutsu, remember back during the bell test?"

"You mean?"

"That's right, the technique I'm going to teach you is Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu. Like all Gen Jutsu, it'd easy enough to dispel, but this is one of the harder ones, where they usually don't realize until it's too late. It doesn't require that much chakra, but if you use more to reinforce it, it makes the illusion harder to dispel. The best part is you don't have to think about anything, it automatically worms its way in and bring their worst fear to the surface. I'd advise against using it I spars however, this kind of technique effects some worse than others."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_With Sasuke_

"Now then Sasuke, While your proficiency in Taijutsu and Nin Jutsu needs not be mentioned, most of your techniques benefit from open spaces, with little scenery. Unfortunately, you can't always get what you want, and there may be times when you're fire is either useless or too hazardous to use. Which is why I've got you this little something" The one-eyed Nin charged chakra to his hand, and then held his hand next to a nearby tree. As soon as the limb was within range there was a loud 'zap', and a small, smoky patch of wood on the tree.

"It's a little something taught in ANBU, it's called Tanraku no Jutsu. A decent sized spark, not enough to kill someone, but enough to fry the nerves in whatever you touch. If you get the spinal cord you can paralyze them for life, if you get the brain…they have a slim chance of survival." Kakashi said frankly, scratching the side of his head as he did so.

"I see, show me"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_With Naruto_

"So, you like Kage Bunshin, eh?"

"Yup"

"I also hear you like shuriken…. any particular reason?"

"They spin" Naruto shrugged. "I like things that spin, twist, twirl, swirl, rotate or otherwise spiral. It's a hobby" He shrugged again, wondering what the point is.

"Well then, I'm sure you'll just love this" The jounin-sensei smiled, before pulling out a single shuriken.

"Are you gonna use that? Coz if not I'll have it," The Uzumaki offered. Kakashi ignored him and turned around.

"Watch this" He launched the shuriken towards a nearby tree, and immediately burst into a small flurry of hand seals.

"Kage Shuriken Bunshin no Jutsu!" The one shuriken became two, four, eight, sixteen, multiplying until over thirty-two shuriken were flying through the air.

"That is-" The blonde was cut off as the shuriken hit the tree, a steady 'ratatatatat' echoed for about two seconds before the last shuriken stuck.

"-So freaking AWESOME! Dattebayo!!!" There was a gleam in the boy's eyes that radiated exited glee as he pranced about.

'_What have I created?'_

"The five seals are Tora-Ne-Tori-I-Tora. Although once you get the hang of it you can just use the cross-seal like regular Kage Bunshin.

"Alright, lets go!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Some Time Later_

"Well team, I think you did well today." Kakashi smiled. Before him stood Team Seven in all its glory. Sakura was ghostly pale, and had developed a minor eye-tick. Sasuke had an angry scowl, burnt fingers, and a right hand that refused to stop twitching, and Naruto was covered in cuts and scraped from when all his shuriken had spontaneously changed direction and launched themselves at him, forcing him to dive behind a nearby tree for cover.

"Keep practicing those Jutsu and you should have them down in no time, just be careful what you practice them on ok? I don't want to explain why my students accidentally killed a civilian now do I?"

'_**Ugh, I'll kill you in a minute, bastard'**_

'_Owww…my head hurts so much…'_

"Hai, sensei" They all chorused unenthusiastically, before trudging off in their own separate directions.

'_My, this is more fun than I thought it would be' _Kakashi chuckled before pulling out a familiar orange book and heading off his own way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While Naruto ran, he allowed a small slip of Youki to slip out, quickly healing his minor wounds. Pausing just near the ramen stand, he quickly brushed all the dirt and leaves off from his jump suit, before calmly walking up to the stand.

'_It wouldn't do to make a bad impression' _he reasoned, grinning as he walked beneath the banner.

"N-Naruto-kun" Hinata stammered, yet again startled by the blonde's sudden appearance.

"Ah, sorry I'm late, I got attacked by a savage gust of wind" He said, referring to the shuriken that mysteriously attacked him. An awkward silence ensued as what he said reached his ears

'_By Inari-sama, I sound worse than Kakashi-sensei! Nooo! I've been infected by his 'road of life'' _

"You know what? Forget what I just said, and blame Kakashi-sensei for everything. He said blankly, before sitting down on a stool.

"So, Shall we eat?"

"Mmm, Ano…I'll have a b-bowl of p-pork ramen please" Hinata requested softly.

"Yeah, I could go for some meat. Hey, Oji-san, make that two"

"Two pork ramen for the happy couple, got it" Teuchi said, grinning at the blush he elicited from the young girl. He let out a groan of pain as he felt an elbow jab uncomfortable into his side.

"Tou-san, what did I say about making the customers feel comfortable? Now shut up and make their ramen" Ayame scolded.

"Yes sir" The middle-aged man said, shuffling off to the stoves to nurse his pride. As their meals were being prepared, Naruto took the initiative to start up a conversation.

"So, how's you're team going so far?" He asked, genuine curiosity on his voice.

'Come on, gimme some dirt on dog-breath'

"A-Ano…w-we're making p-progress, K-Kurenai-sensei says we have g-good team dynamics" She admitted, tapping her fingers together nervously.

"Really? Cool, the closest thing to team dynamics we've got is when one of us gives orders and the others listen, which happens far and between."

"O-oh?" She said, feeling guilty as though she'd been gloating over how much better her team was than his.

"Yeah, it'd help if Sakura-Chan would stop idolizing the Uchiha and start seeing the real Sasuke-Teme"

"W-w-what do you mean?" She asked, unused to hearing such harsh sounding words from her crush.

"It's not her fault I suppose, it's the whole damn village, now his clans gone they seem to see him as some 'grand savior' that's going to lead them to power and glory. It's almost as if they think the entire village only existed because of the Uchiha clan. They let it get to their heads too, before the _incident _you'd see Uchiha Police corp. walking 'round like they owned the place. They where probably taught from day one that 'Uchiha are the best', 'long live the Uchiha' and 'Uchiha for Hokage', ugh, that'd be the day." He huffed, trying to force away the mental image of Sasuke's face on the Hokage monument. "Ah, Ramen's here" He exclaimed, offering up his little prayer before diving into the noodle-broth, while Hinata ate much more conservatively.

"T-The Hyuuga are the same" She said, hesitant at slandering her own clan.

"Really?"

"W-We are always told that 'T-the Hyuuga are the f-foundation of Konoha', h-how the village w-would s-still be a 'Rabble of tents b-by a river' were it not for the H-Hyuuga." She frowned.

"E-every day, t-they expect the H-Hyuuga to be f-flawless, and I-if you do make a m-mistake t-they condemn you on the s-spot"

"Now that's just harsh, no wonder they're all such uptight bastards…'cept you of course"

"T-They act like they're doing the village a f-favor, just by l-living here!" She exclaimed, starting to raise her voice.

"It's not like they could just up and leave, no village would take them, since that would be a display of disloyalty. They'd be hunted by ANBU for betrayal, and there's not enough jobs out there for a whole clan of missing Nin to get by. They're only option would be to settle down into civilian life somewhere"

"A-Also, there w-would be p-people trying to s-steal the secrets of the B-Byakugan"

"That's you're eye thingy right? I didn't know you could do that"

"H-Hai, it happens now and again…I-it…almost h-happened to m-me once" She admitted, burying her head in her ramen.

"What happened?" He asked, all excitement gone from his voice, replaced by concern and apprehension.

"I-It was n-nine years ago, K-Kumo sent an a-ambassador to sign a p-peace treaty with K-Konoha, b-but, in the night he s-snuck in and t-tried to k-kidnap m-me"

"I suppose since you're here, today that he failed?"

"H-Hai, O-Otou-sama s-stopped and k-killed him"

"Man…Kumo couldn't have been too happy"

"I-Iie, t-they d-denied the w-whole thing and demanded Otou-Sama's h-head."

"So what did they do?"

"H-Hizashi-Oji-sama, O-Otou-Sama's t-twin brother w-was sent in his s-stead."

"Wait, did this Hizashi guy even want to?"

"H-Hai, h-he said that it was 't-the last decision of a c-caged bird'. H-He was of the b-branch family, s-see? T-they l-live their w-whole lives in s-servitude to the m-main family. I-it sickens me, t-they're p-practically s-slaves"

"That's…terrible, I can't believe they haven't turned against the clan yet." He exclaimed, eyes wide in shock.

"T-they can't, e-even if they w-wanted to. T-they have a c-curse seal p-placed on them, a-all a m-main family member need to do is form a h-hand seal to cause them g-great pain, e-even death if they h-hold it long enough"

"To go to such extremes, to their own family?" Naruto demanded, shell-shocked. Hinata shook her head sadly.

"Iie, you misunderstand. It's not a family, n-not anymore, I-it's a clan"

'_Cursed from birth to be forever in servitude, never having a say in ones own life…' _His mind was filled with images of himself, bound in chains and locked in a dungeon, his seal exposed for the whole world to see.

"A-Ah, I-its getting late" She said, glancing at the rapidly dimming sky.

"Uh, you're right. We got maybe…half an hour of daylight left. He said, before quickly grinning.

"Ne, Hinata-Chan, I got just the perfect thing to show you" Quickly dropping some money beside his empty ramen bowl, he grabbed the demure girl by the wrist and began running down the street.

"N-Naruto-kun, w-where are we going?" She stammered to ask, narrowly avoiding the many pedestrians in their path.

"Don't worry, we won't be too long. Hey Hinata-Chan? Can you do the tree-climbing exercise yet?" He asked, rounding a corner.

"H-Hai, demo…I used up m-most of m-my chakra during t-training today" She said, drooping her head in shame.

"Then I'll just have to carry you" Bringing her in front of him, he swept her of her feet and picked her up bridal style.

"Going up!" Charging his feet with chakra, he leapt from the ground onto a nearby building, before using it as a springboard to go even higher.

"N-Naruto-kun!" She jerked suddenly, before feeling a pull backwards on her as they ran. After a moment she realized that he was running straight up a cliff face, that he could do that while carrying her was no mean feat, she realized. Especially since they where both wearing weighted jackets,

"Hang on, almost there!" He shouted, as they drove on higher, higher, until

"Alright, we're here!" He stopped and placed the dazed girl gently on the ground next to him as he sat down.

"W-where are we?" She asked, her head spinning from the change in altitude.

"Hokage Mountain, atop the Yondaime's head" He explained, rapping his knuckles on the rock beneath him to demonstrate.

"A-ano…why did you take me here?" She asked, looking at the rock in confusion.

"Well, all that talk about you're clan seemed to be making you upset, and I always come here when I'm upset. Also, look" He said, pointing towards the horizon. She turned her head to look and gasped.

"I-its beautiful" She stammered, overcome by the sight before her. The setting sun, dipping over the horizon, cast a red glow over the entire village, flames almost seemed to lick the buildings as shadows danced across the cityscape.

"The village…it almost looks alive" Her voice was subdued and awestruck as she looked out upon the burning visage.

"When the Konoha dance, the will of fire burns," Naruto said, ominously.

"Nani?"

"It's something Ojii-san said, I'm always reminded of it when I see this" He explained, an odd look in his eye.

'_It looks just like that night, the way _he _remembers it'_

'_Me and Naruto-kun…watching the sunset…together…alone…I wish this could go on forever' _Blushing furiously, she reached over and grasped her crushes hand with her own. When he made no comment she felt her bravery muster.

'_This is it, just the two of us…now' _Trembling, nervously, she slowly leaned towards the blonde boy next to her, closer…closer…

"Naruto-kun" She murmured, her heart racing with anticipation.

"Hinata-Chan!" He exclaimed, turning to face her suddenly. The abrupt movement caught her off guard, and she fell backwards, the boy's quick reflexes being the only thing that stopped her from slamming into the rock.

"N-Naruto-kun?" She stammered, the boy's face was inches away from her, the sun was not even a flicker on the horizon, and a crescent moon hung ominously in its stead. The blonde's eyes seemed to sparkle in the moonlight, and when he grinned she could have sworn she saw an impressively sized fang.

"Oh Hinata…" He sang, his voice quiet as a whisper, yet full of mirth.

"N-Nan desu ka?" She asked, her lips trembling.

"_**Lets dance**_" His voice sounded so smooth, so sweet, how could she say no?

"H-Hai" Immediately, he lifted her up and held her next to him.

"_**Beneath the moonlight, we sing and dance, all in praise of our mother Tsukuyomi, come! From now till eternity!" **_He sang, before leaping from the rock onto a nearby rooftop.

"Naruto-kun!"

"_**Follow, follow and dance with me," **_He stepped from toe-to toe, dancing from foot –to-foot in invitation. Feeling her heart flutter, the Hyuuga heiress swallowed before leaping after him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_They leapt from rooftop to rooftop; one would lead, the other follow, and then switch places, with the other leading and the first following. It was both a game, and a dance, all rolled into one. Their joyous cries echoed beneath the silver moon. Their previous lives lay forgotten and discarded, there was no then, there was no when, there was no if or how or but, just here and now, beneath the smiling night. No words were exchanged; they spoke with their folly. Two lunatics, beneath the goddess, laughed, and cried, and sang, and wept, and when the music stopped, they stared into each other's souls. Within, they found both eternity and madness, reflected a thousand times over, and as the curtain starts to fall, a giddy thief steals a kiss, before vanishing into the night, promises and farewell trailing behind._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Neko-cat

Okami-here it means 'mistress' or 'madam', I thought would be appropriate to refer to the Daimyo's wife

Fuuin Jutsu-sealing arts

Otou-sama- Honored father

Byakugan-white eyes

Kumo-abbreviation of Kumogakure no Sato, or Village Hidden in Clouds

Tora-tiger

Ne-Rat

Tori-Bird

I-Boar

Youki- 'You' for calamity, 'Ki' for spiritual energy, 'Youki' basically means 'evil', or 'destructive energy'. A/N: In case you didn't know, 'Shijimi' is the Daimyo's wife's name. The 'Missing neko' thing was a lame pun on 'Missing-Nin' in case you didn't pick that up.

And no, they haven't hooked up together already, it was the middle of the night, and Naruto was drunk off moonshine, so his mind was in several places at once when it happened.

On today's "Crap I think I know…kinda"-suffixes

In Japan, suffixes are used to denote both familiarity, and respect toward the person being named, usually in contrasting amounts. Also it is less familiar to refer to someone by their last name than their first. If the prefix O- is added, the it increases the person's status; O- could be translated as either 'great' or 'honored'.

-Chan is one of the more familiar suffixes, and has feminine and/or 'cute' connotations. Is equivalent to an abbreviation or nickname in English, I.E calling someone 'Lizzy' instead of 'Elizabeth'. It would be appropriate to call a young girl you were friends with –Chan, it would, however, be disrespectful to call someone who was your senior –Chan. To call a male –Chan could be endearing, or insulting, depending on the speaker's relationship with the person. It would not be too out of place to call your baby brother –Chan, but it would be a great insult to call you're middle aged boss that. It's also a good way to embarrass your brother in front of his friends.

-Kun is also a familiar suffix, equal, if not slightly less so, than –Chan. Is equivalent to an abbreviation or nickname in English, I.E calling someone 'Johnny' instead of 'Johnson'; The implementation is similar to –Chan, although –kun has masculine connotations, although it would not be entirely inappropriate to refer to a female as –kun, if that person exhibited relatively masculine behavior, it is also used for people under you in terms of rank, a student, regardless of gender would usually have -kun at the end of their name, same as with if your boss were addressing you.

-San is fairly neutral in terms of familiarity, and could be considered the default suffix. It is similar to calling someone Mr., Mrs., sir or madam in English It is fairly respectful, and usually denotes seeing someone as being equal in status to the speaker.

-Sama is relatively low familiarity, but very high in terms of respect. Is about on par with calling someone 'lord-' in English. Implies the person is of higher status than the speaker,

-Dono is similar to –Sama, however, its usually associated with the head of a prominent family or organization. No English equivalent.

-Sensei literally means teacher, similar to how English-speaking students call their teachers 'Mrs. Hoover' etc.

-Baka literally means idiot, not technically a suffix, is equivalent to calling someone 'stupid-' in English

-Teme, I'm not sure what this means exactly, but it's the equivalent to bastard/bitch in English. Not technically a suffix

Finally, to refer to someone using no suffixes whatsoever denotes either great familiarity (i.e. that shared between spouses) or a great insult, as it denotes no respect whatsoever to the person.


	15. If the Shoe Fits

Chapter 15

If the Shoe Fits

_The fox laments his dance cut short, and asks for a vacation amongst the waves, only to learn of a wicked thief. When two demons attack the fox and his friends the fox agrees to stop the thief, and allow hope to rebuild itself._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto let out a groan as he smacked his head against a tree, dramatically. He and his team where at their usual waiting spot of a certain small bridge, waiting for their chronically late sensei to arrive, in the meantime the blonde ninja was contemplating chaining himself up at night.

'_Baka! Baka, baka, baka, baka, baka, baka, baka, baka, baka! How could you?' _The cause of his distress, of course, was the events that he had partaken of the previous night. Or rather _whom _he had partaken of the previous night.

'_**Tactic no. 63, engage the target in stimulating exercise to causing the release of endorphins to invoke feelings of happiness, giddiness, and 'sense of adventure', before launching a surprise strike. However, you failed to implement step three; and begin rubbing' **_He let out another groan, before letting his head drop back onto the tree trunk painfully. The level of speech employed by his Oni-Zenshin was directly connected to how separate they where to his personality; the usual stuff like yearning for revenge, or the desire for bloodshed were normally related in four words or less, however, the more of his self that went into the thought, the more elaborate his sub-conscious desires were, and right now, his sub-conscious desires where that, instead of refraining himself the previous night, he should have done all he did and then some. Unfortunately, this clashed with his conscious desires that said that you don't come on to an unsuspecting friend, and the heiress to the Hyuuga clan.

'_Start rubbing? START RUBBING? I was already kissing the poor girl; I'm lucky she was only dazed! Any more than that and she would have…ugh, I forget, that's what you want anyway' _Let it not be said that Uzumaki Naruto was unconfident about his kisses.

'**You mean what you want. There is no me, only you. What is the conscience without the self? So to speak.'**

'_This sucks, I'm arguing with a self-confessed figment of my imagination. Forget that, what do I do now? I could make an excuse that makes me out to be a hopeless bastard, causing her to hate me. I could pretend she dreamt the whole thing, but then the thought would still be in there!'_

'_**Or, you could give her what she now so painfully wants, and so, so much more'**_

'_Gah, Hentai! Hentai! Baka-Hentai no Naruto! Ugh, how was I supposed to know I'd do something like that at night, I knew the moon lowered my inhibitions but the most I've ever done is play around with a few dreams, or possess some people and pretend to be drunk'_

'_**Or would you rather forget the whole thing, let her move on with her life, then sit back and watch as fool Kiba bends her to his will!' **_His Oni-Zenshin suddenly snapped, which was a rare occurrence in that it was normally a voice of gentle persuasion.

'_T-that…that is…'_

'_**Admit it, you already feel an attachment to the girl, if you didn't you'd just tell her the whole thing was a mistake and let her go'**_

'_But I barley know her'_

'_**You know that she feels her clan is undermining her self-worth. You know what she craves is someone to see her as herself, not a trophy, nor a tool, nor a china-doll. You know you could do that for her, after all its what you want yourself. Just think about it' **_

"Grrrrr, I hate it when I'm right" He groaned, looking up from his now-battered tree to see his team-mates, sporting conflicting looks of confusion, concern and disinterest.

"Um…are you okay?" Sakura asked, hesitantly.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well…it's just you've been beating you're head against that tree for half an hour now, and you keep muttering to yourself. Something about 'Mustn't defile the sunny place'" She answered, somewhat hesitantly.

'_**Uwaah, if Naruto-Baka's going crazy then he's off the team!' **_'Inner-Sakura' put in, accompanied by the mental image of Naruto in a straight jacket, frothing noodles at the mouth.

"Ehehe…I had a bit of an…odd night…and I'm just hoping I clean up the mess without too many problems-ttebayo"

"Tch, Dobe probably set his stove on fire" Sasuke said, smugly.

"Sasuke-Teme!" The blonde growled, before trying to leap at his dark-haired rival, only to hit the ground face-first as the Uchiha stepped out of the way.

"Naruto-baka, don't attack Sasuke-kun like that!" The pink-haired Kunoichi admonished, glaring at the blonde angrily.

'_**Bwuahahahahaha! That was hilarious!' **_'Inner-Sakura' roared from within the Kunoichi's head. It was at that time that the leader of Team Seven chose to arrive.

"Yo"

"You're late!" 2/3rds of his team chorused, while the third settle for glaring at him darkly.

"Sorry about that, I was on my way here when I was attacked by a rabid hamster. Fortunately, I was able to defeat it with an s-ranked Kin Jutsu, but at the cost of my pants, so I had to go home and sew a new pair by hand"

"Liar!!"

"Don't say that, I'm rather proud of my cross-stitch. Anyway, we'd better get over to the administrative office for today's missions"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Lets see, today's missions will be; pulling weeds from Mrs. Honoka's garden, re-painting the ninja academy, babysitting-'

"No!" All eyes swung towards the blonde genin who had the gall to defy the Hokage.

"And why not?" The Hokage asked, a bemused expression on his face, while his guards seriously considered throwing the blonde nuisance out the window.

"We're ninja, not boy scouts! What's the point in us training if we never put it to use? Come on, give a good one" The blonde genin demanded.

'_Geez, that Naruto, how annoying' _

'_**But I'm soo bored with these crappy d-ranks anyway'**_

'_For once, I agree with the Dobe'_

'_I figured it was time for something like this' _Kakashi sighed.

"Look, Naruto-kun, you and you're team are still just genin, the most we ever give genin are c-rank, and even then only the more advanced. You only recently became genin so d-rank are best suited for you" The aged Hokage explained.

"Ojii-san-bayo, if I have to do anymore d-rank missions, I think I'm going to have to get Naruko to improve team morale during missions-ttebayo" Naruto whined, causing the Sandaime's eyes to widen. Previously, when he had Naruto fill out the info sheet for his infamous 'Oiroke no Jutsu', he'd learned Naruto's name for his air-clad creation.

'_He wouldn't dare use _her _in public would he? No, this is Naruto we're talking about, of course he would. It would be disastrous if word got out that I was forcing young girls to do manual labor naked for minimum pay, and that's just one way of looking at it, I'm sure that kid could think of something much, much worse. Bah, whatever happened to 'don't negotiate with terrorists'?' _The Sandaime sighed before tenting his hands together.

"Well, if the situation is truly that drastic…I'll give you a c-rank mission then." The Sandaime smiled at the surprise of the blonde's team and sensei.

'_He…he actually got the Hokage to give in?'_

"It's an escort mission for a certain individual"

"Hehe, who is it-ttebayo? A daimyo? A princess?" The fox-boy guessed, excitedly.

"Calm down, I'll introduce him. You can come in now." The Sandaime called out. Moments later, a side door was opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He had a disheveled look about him, and he frequently took swigs from a bottle of sake in his hand.

"What's this? You promised me ninjas; these guys look like a bunch of super-brats. Especially the shortest one with the stupid looking face" The drunk declared, his gaze settling firmly on Naruto.

" Oi, don't mess with me you old geezer, I'll see to it you end up having nightmares for years because of me!" The blonde genin shouted, struggling to break free of his sensei's sudden grip.

"Now, now, we can hardly attack the person we were hired to protect" Kakashi scolded.

"tch, I am the Super Expert Bridge Builder Tazuna!" The man proclaimed. "And I except you to provide me with super protection until I get back to my country and complete my bridge"

'Well…I guess leaving the village for a little while will help me think about stuff' the blonde thought to himself. 'I hope Hinata-Chan isn't mad at me'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At Training ground No. 8

"Kiba-kun, once more!"

"Ugh, Hinata-Chan, I…"

'_Suck it in Kiba, you can't afford to look weak in front of a cute girl'_

"Alright, ready Akamaru? Gatsuuga!"

'_Focus, steady… expel chakra equally from all 64 tenketsu simultaneously, and rotate… now!'_

"Hakkeshou: Kaiten!"

A small explosion later, Kiba and his dog companion lay splayed out on the ground, while the Hyuuga heiress slumped against a tree, her left arm hanging limp by her side.

"Well done Hinata-Chan," Her sensei, Kurenai congratulated. "And you said you where no good at Kaiten. You see what you can do when you believe in yourself? You didn't even get dizzy like you did yesterday.

"Yeah, way to go Hinata-Chan. You did great!" Kiba insisted, trying not to wince

'_Crap, I think I broke a rib'_

"Indeed, you have shown a dramatic improvement since this morning, did something 'good' occur after training yesterday?" Shino, the ever-stoic bug-boy asked. At his words the girls cheeks suddenly began burning a bright red.

"I-I…w-well…t-that is…" As blood rushed to her head, she suddenly toppled and fell over, landing with a soft 'poompf' on the grass, a slight trickle of mysterious red escaping from her nose.

'_I-I kissed Naruto-kun' _Her last thought was a happy one before she was claimed by the darkness.

"Sensei, I think you spoke to soon about the dizzy thing," Kiba offered. "Also…I can't feel my legs, is that normal?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, Naruto…who's this 'Naruko' person you mentioned? Is she a friend of yours?" Sakura asked, finally having conceded that perhaps Sasuke didn't want to talk to her at this _exact _moment.

"Well…you could say that. Kakashi-sensei seemed to-"

"Naruto, what have I told you about revealing too much information?" The Hatake cut in, eager to preserve his reputation.

"Yeah, yeah, well anyhow-!-" He paused suddenly as he got an idea.

'_It _has _been a while since I last did a prank on him…'_

'_**And as far as males go he isn't**_** that**_** bad…' **_

"Hey Sasuke-Teme, you wanna meet Naruko?"

"Why would I want to meet one of you're stupid friends?" The dark haired youth retorted. He turned to continue walking when he suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

'_Something…terrible is about to happen!'_

'poof'

The boy stiffened as a pair of long, dainty, _feminine _arms slinked around his neck.

"But Sasuke-sama, you need to try new things…like…me" The voice was quiet, sweet, and above all _enticing_, if anything the last Uchiha was having difficulty remembering to breathe, let alone think, but eventually, a thought got through.

'_That's…still…Naruto!!!!'_

"Gah! Dobe, get the hell off me!!!" In a fit of rage, he grabbed the lithe girl and hurled her to the ground. Panting at the sudden exertion he glared at the boy…girl…person.

"Ohh…Sasuke-sama like it rough? Sasuke-Sama's panting just looking at my body…I'm so embarrassed" Naruko sat, knees pressed against her chest in a feeble attempt to hide her ample 'assets'.

"Dobe…I. Will. Kill You!!" The Uchiha roared, beginning the hand seals for his Housenka no Jutsu.

'poof'

"Mou, Mou, Sasuke-Kun's so tetchy" Naruko grumbled, standing up and brushing herself off, now donning the infamous orange jump-suit of her male counterpart.

"Naruto-baka!!" The girl narrowly avoided a fury filled punch from her pink-haired teammate.

"It's Naruko! Naruko!" The blonde demanded. "It feels weird to refer to myself as a guy like this" She explained, patting her chest for emphasis.

"Have you no shame?" The Kunoichi demanded, grabbing the girl by the collar and lifting her up.

"Uwaah, just because you're afraid of a little experimentation" She pouted; only to have it change into a look of terror as she realized her teammate was serious.

"Ah, come on Sakura-Chan, it was just a joke, come on…don't hurt me-eeeeeh" Her protests went unheard as the pink-haired Nin hurled him into a nearby tree, dispelling the technique upon impact.

"Itai-Itai-Itai" He groaned, staggering to get up. He fell back down when he caught sight of his two teammates bearing down on him, murder in their eyes.

"Any last words, Dobe?"

"Just…one…it was…worth it" He grinned, only to vanish in a puff of smoke.

"Kage Bunshin? When did he-?"

'He must have switched with one he had nearby when he hit the tree'

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei, do you think I'd look cuter in a miniskirt, or in hot pants?" The real blonde asked the silver-haired jounin.

"Naruto, I honestly can not believe you just asked me that question"

"Well?"

"Miniskirt, definitely" The Jounin said, his face deadpanned. Sasuke and Sakura, who had caught up behind them, involuntarily shuddered.

'_Oh, he did _not _just say that'_

'_Gah, our sensei really is some kind of a freak, first the ass-poke now this!!'_

"A-Are you sure these guys are competent ninja?" Tazuna asked, eyeing his bottle suspiciously, in case it was the culprit behind the earlier display.

"Sadly, they are. But still, either way you've got me to protect you" Kakashi said, smiling. "Although you seem a little jumpy, you almost seem to be expecting an attack"

"W-well, you can't be too careful these days, bandits are everywhere, right?" The bridge-builder laughed nervously.

"Well don't worry, if its just bandits then my cute little genin will be more than enough to deal with them"

'_Tch, who are you calling cute?' _Sasuke scowled.

"So, Nominuke-san, why'd you come all the way to Konoha for protection? Ain't you got ninja in Nami?" Naruto asked, his hands stretched behind his head.

"I'm afraid not, unlike most other countries Nami no Kuni lacks a strong economic base required to support a shinobi population." The wizened man stated, somewhat regretfully.

"Eh? If the countries so poor, how did they afford a 'Super Expert Bridge Builder' like yourself then?" Naruto demanded, crossing his arms in puzzlement.

"You useless brat! I do my work for the good of my country. Money doesn't come into it! I wouldn't expect a spoilt brat like you to understand something like that" The bridge-builder scowled.

"Hey, you just seemed like someone who was tight with money, that's all." The blonde explained, unsympathetically. "I mean, the stuffs next to worthless as far as I'm concerned, hell I'd probably work for free if I didn't like looking at the stuff"

"Like I said, a brat like you doesn't understand worth"

"You know what they say, 'buy a man a fish, you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish you feed him for a lifetime'" The blonde shrugged. "Hey, speaking of fish, do you think there's any in that pond over there?" He grinned pointing to a pitiful patch of water in the middle of the road.

"You idiot, that's just a puddle!" Sakura scolded. Kakashi glanced at it while Sasuke scowled. Sakura seemed puzzled for a moment while Naruto sniffed the air, a mild look of confusion on his face.

Once the group had passed it, a pair of black-clad ominous figures rose silently out from the drabble of moisture. Giving one another a quick nod, they leapt. A metal chain linking their iron gauntlets was wrapped around the jounin-sensei, his eyes wide with surprise

"What??"

"Wh-what is this?"

As the pair landed, the chain was pulled taut, digging into the Jounin's skin.

"One down…" They each yanked their chain. There was a brief flicker of fear on the Jounin's face, before he was gruesomely torn apart by the bladed chains.

"Kyaaah!"

"K-Kakashi-sensei!" In an instant, the pair appeared behind the orange-clad genin, their arms already drawn back.

"Two down!"

As the chains drew closer, something clicked in Naruto's brain. Utilizing reflex born from the equivalent of year's worth of fighting experience, he spun on one leg, before using his other to kick the first assailant in the face, using it as a spring board to push him to safety, whilst simultaneously forcing the enemy ninja off-balance.

"Ugh, Sasuke!!" Naruto called, whilst skidding along the ground. A split second later, the dark-haired youth was off the ground, and a pair of kunai whistling through the air, impaling their chain to the tree. Snarling, they pulled a pin on their gauntlets, causing the chain to fall harmlessly to the ground. Within an instant, they were both speeding away, toward Sakura and Tazuna.

"Sakura!!"

Panic in her eyes, she frantically dove into some hand seals.

"Too Slow!" One of the masked assailants growled, before plunging his iron gauntlet into his target. His eyes widened as blood spilt onto the ground.

"B-Brother?" He asked, hesitantly, for it was the other black-clad assailant he had impaled.

"Brother…brother…NOOOOOO!!!"

'BZZZ-ZARP'

The two ninja slumped to the ground as they each received a strong electric jolt, courtesy of Sasuke. Each believing they had killed the other courtesy of Sakura's Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu.

'_Gah, I'm still getting too much backlash from this stupid Tanraku no Jutsu' _Sasuke scowled, his hands twitching occasionally.

"Alright! We were awesome!" Naruto cheered, dusting himself off. "Kakashi-sensei, you can get out of the tree now" He said offhandedly. When the silver-haired jounin appeared next to the two assailants Tazuna let out a gasp.

"What? But they, you, how?" He demanded, pointing to the now prone figures, one of which Naruto was poking with a stick.

"Nin Jutsu, that's all you need to know" The jounin said, gesturing to a pile of sliced logs where his body should have been.

'_Oh, so it was kawarimi, I thought I smelt wood then' _Naruto grinned.

"Everyone, you did well. However…Tazuna-san, may I have a word?"

XXXXXXX

"These look like hidden mist Chuunin" Kakashi said, glancing at the two captives, now tied up against a tree. "Shinobi known to continue a fight, no matter what"

"How…how did you know we were there?" One of the two asked.

"It's bright, sunny, and hasn't rained for days, there's not going to be any puddles for miles around" Kakashi remarked casually.

"If you knew they were there, why did you let the brats fight?" Tazuna demanded.

"If I wanted to, I could have killed them within an instant, however, I needed to discern their target."

"What do you mean"

"Put simply, I needed to know whether they were after me and my team…or after you. There was no mention of enemy shinobi on this mission; our job was to simply protect you from gangs and thieves. I'm sure you had you're reasons for lying about the mission parameters but…this is now at lest b-rank mission, and no place for genin." Kakashi stated.

"What? We beat them didn't we? Isn't that proof enough we can handle it? What sort of a ninja leaves the client to die just because it was 'too hard'?" Naruto demanded.

"Kakashi-san…" Tazuna started. "I suppose I'd better come clean."

"Hmm?"

"You see, a very dangerous man is after my life, you may have heard of him"

"Who?"

"He is…Gatou, the wealthy shipping magnate"

"Hu? Gatou? From _that _Gatou shipping company? He's said to be one of the few extremely wealthy people in the world"

"Yes…officially he runs a large shipping company, but secretly he sells drugs and contraband, using ninja and thugs to take over businesses and countries. He is a very nasty man"

"No kidding" Naruto sighed.

"It was about a year ago that he set his eyes on Nami, through money and violence he quickly took control of the country's shipping industry. He now has a monopoly on all business traffic in the country; the only thing he has to fear is the completion of my bridge.

"Because Nami would no longer be cut off, right?"

"So because you're building the bridge, you're in the way"

"So, those ninja where hired by Gatou?"

"But if you knew ninja would be hired to go after you, why hide it?" Kakashi asked, Tazuna sighed.

"Everyone in Nami is poor, even the daimyo has no money. There's no way we could have afforded an expensive B-rank mission."

"So in the end, its about money after all"

"If you quit the mission now, I will definitely be killed…_but_…Don't worry about it! My cute, ten year old grandson will just cry for a few days, oh yeah! And my daughter will live a sad life hating Konohagakure forever, but it won't be your fault. Not at all!!!" The bridge-builder proclaimed boisterously.

"Well…I guess we can protect you at least until we get back to you're country" Kakashi sweat-dropped.

'_I win'_ Tazuna grinned

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oni-Zenshin-lit. Demon's conscience, the voice of Naruto's subconscious

Hentai-pervert, freak, sexual deviant. Used to refer to drawn, or animated Japanese erotica by most western cultures

Daimyo- feudal lord

Gatsuuga-dual piercing fang

Nominuke-drunkard

Nami-wave


	16. Devil in the Mist

Chapter 16

Devil in the Mist

_As the group continues their journey, they are attacked by a mist-demon. The scarecrow reveals his eye of hell, but is subdued by the mist-demon. Fox and hawk come to the rescue, and the mist-demon is beaten back. Moments from death, the mist-demon is frozen by an ice-maiden. With a week till he thaws, the scarecrow must pay his tribute to the underworld_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was an awkward silence as the group traveled, broken only by the regular splashing as the oarsman steadily propelled them further along. All around a thick blanket of white enveloped the small boat.

"This mist, I can barley see my own hands in front of me" Sakura commented, squinting at the blank canvas that was the scenery.

"We should see the bridge soon, the country of wave is at the base of the bridge" The oarsman explained, a constant look of concern on his face.

"WOW, its HUGE!" Naruto exclaimed as the colossal construct came into view.

"Hey, Quiet! We're meant to be hiding here, we'll be in serious trouble if Gatou finds us" The oarsman hissed, causing Naruto to cover his mouth in shame.

"We'll be there soon. Tazuna-san, it looks like we've avoided detection so far, but just in case we'll take the route that has vegetation, it will make us harder to spot" The oarsman explained, getting a muffled 'thanks' in response.

The lights grew dim, as the rickety boat drifted into one of the many tunnels leading into the village, illuminated only by the lights attached to the ceiling. After a few minutes, the boat emerged on the other side.

"Hehe, wow…" Naruto grinned as he took in the sight of the exotic (to him) village. There was murky water everywhere, with gnarly looking trees, and houses propped up on stilts everywhere. The air was humid, and thick with moisture, and the accompanying mist gave the village a surreal atmosphere.

"This is cool…like something out of a ghost story-ttebayo," The blonde murmured excitedly as the group climbed out from the boat onto one of the miniature docks.

"This is it for me, goodbye and good luck" The oarsman said, as pushed off the dock.

"Yeah, super thanks" The bridge-builder said, nervously, before turning to his escorts. "Right! Get me home safely!" He commanded, setting of behind them.

"Hai, Hai" The silver-haired jounin replied lazily.

'_If we get attacked again it won't be more Chuunin, but definitely a jounin…this is bad.' _The one-eyed Nin thought glumly, as they walked.

As they walked, Naruto suddenly paused, and sniffed the air. Glancing around frantically, he drew a shuriken and launched it into a nearby bush.

"There!!"

"What is it?"

"I thought I saw a shadow" The blonde replied, staring into the bush.

"You idiot, there's nothing there" His pink-haired teammate scolded, delivering a painful blow to his head.

"Itai, I swear there's somebody following us-ttebayo" He protested. Kakashi slowly walked towards the offending bush.

"Oh? Just a rabbit" The jounin-sensei observed, glancing at the petrified animal.

"You idiot!! what have you done?" Sakura demanded,

"Hey, lunch!!" The blonde exclaimed, pouncing on the trembling beast

'_That rabbit…it still had its winter coat despite it being spring…this is a rabbit that's been kept in a cage specifically for Kawarimi no Jutsu…so they're already here'_ The Jounin let out a sigh.

"Ne, you guys eat cooked meat right? That makes the meat bland, but with some seasonings it might be alright" The blonde debated, holding the rabbit by the ears.

"Naruto-baka! We're not eating rabbit when we still have plenty of rations! And more importantly, are you saying you don't cook you're meat?!" The Kunoichi demanded.

'_**Shannaro! That rabbit does look tasty though, and those ration bars taste like crap!'**_

XXXXXX

'_I see…no wonder the Onikyoudai failed, that's Konohagakure's Sharingan no Kakashi…this might be fun…'_

XXXXXX

While his team was debating over proper lunch procedures, Kakashi suddenly stiffened.

"Everybody, GET DOWN!!" The whole group dropped, with Naruto tackling Tazuna to the ground, not a moment to soon as an enormous spinning blade sliced the air they had just occupied, before embedding itself into the first tree in its path, penetrating halfway through the thick trunk. As the group looked up, they saw an ominous figure atop the blade; his face wrapped in bandages, his clothes marked with gray and blue camouflage, and no eyebrows.

'_Another fight, I won't be the one in trouble like last time!' _Naruto frowned, his pride still sore from being almost torn to shreds by the previous assailants, and then not finishing them off.

"Well, if it isn't Momochi Zabuza-kun, Missing-Nin of Kirigakure" Kakashi said patronizingly.

'_Ready…go!' _Just as he was about to charge, the gloved hand of his sensei appeared in front of him.

"Everyone, stay back and guard Tazuna-san. This guy's on a whole different level to you three" The jounin instructed, his eye never leaving the newcomer.

'_Against a guy like this…I can't afford to hold back. Hey, Obito, rise and shine, it's time to play' _Kakashi thought jovially, reaching for his Hitai-ate.

"Ah so you've heard of me Sharingan no Kakashi, sorry but…the old man is mine" The missing Nin said, his voice gruff and cold.

'Sharingan? Where have I heard that before' Naruto furrowed his brow in concentration.

'_Sharingan???' _Sasuke's eyes widened in shock at the name of his clan's prized Doujutsu.

"Surround Tazuna-san, and ensure no harm comes to him. Zabuza…fight me" Kakashi demanded, pulling back his Hitai-ate to reveal a crimson red eye, adorned by three black tomoe-shaped pupils encircling his retina, and a thin, vertical scar marring his left eye-lid down to his cheek.

'_That eye…so familiar…' _The blonde squinted as his brain worked diligently towards recollection _'I remember…a thief? No, not me, _him_, what does Tsuku…'_

"Ah, so I get to see you're famous Sharingan already? I'm honored.

"Sharingan…what the hell is it-ttebayo?" Naruto demanded, frustrated at the fox's cryptic memories.

"The Sharingan…it is said some have the ability in their eyes to defeat all types of Tai, Nin, and Genjutsu, the Sharingan is one of the types of pupil that gives you this power…but that's not the only ability the Sharingan has…" Sasuke explained, an odd expression on his face.

"Hehe, exactly. That's not all, what's even scarier is…that with a single glance you can copy you're opponents techniques" The missing Nin explained, "When I was a member of Kirigakure's assassination team, I kept a bingo book on people like you…do you know what it said? 'The man who has copied over 1000 techniques, Sharingan no Kakashi'. You see, I know all about you" The missing Nin said, smirking beneath his bandages.

'_Wow…sensei's such a person?' _Sakura asked herself,

'_**Gah, how can such a lazy Hentai have a reputation like that??'**_ Inner-Sakura demanded.

"Wow, You Da Man!!" Naruto exclaimed, excitedly.

'_What…what is going on…the Sharingan is a special condition that only occurs in select members of the Uchiha clan…could he be?' _He glanced at the jounin with a strange look in his eyes.

"Now…lets end all the talking. I have to kill that old man…" Zabuza announced, causing Tazuna to gasp with fear. "But Kakashi…it seems I have to bet you first". Kicking off from the tree, the Zanbatou wielding Nin seemingly vanished, before reappearing with a splash atop a nearby body of water, his arm raised in an odd seal.

'_He's releasing a high level of chakra' _Kakashi tensed as his fellow Jounin began his technique.

"Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu" A thick mist enveloped the area, seemingly choking the very scenery from their eyes.

"Where'd he go?"

"Momochi Zabuza, a man famous for his silent killing technique. You don't even notice until you're already dead. Be careful, I can't use my Sharingan perfectly in this mist" Kakashi warned, his eyes darting around for the enemy. The genin tensed at the proclamation of danger.

'_Our Sharingan'_ He silently corrected himself

"Gah, the mist is getting thicker Dattebayo!" Naruto complained, his voice was met by a dark and ominous presence.

"_8 choices...liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, jugular vein, brain, kidneys, heart. Which one should I go after?" _Zabuza pondered aloud, his voice seemingly coming from all directions as he taunted he prey. The group froze as an enormous wave of killing intent washed over them, while Kakashi tensed and formed a hand seal.

'_This sensation…the feeling of bloodlust that a jounin can muster, its nowhere near like Tsuku-Sama's but it's still enough to excite me…the knowledge of kill or be killed…to just stand here is unbearable, my demonic blood…it demands I fight back…my claws are crying out for blood!' _Naruto let out a small growl as he felt his claws struggling to emerge, resisting the urge to release his tail. _'No! No matter what, I can't reveal who I am…what I am! This is a battle amongst humans and I have to fight like one' _His mind resolved, the blonde glanced t his teammates who where unused to experiencing such a feeling.

'_W-we have to protect Tazuna-san' 'I can't die here! I mustn't die here!' _Sakura trembled, trapped between the overwhelming urge to flee, and her duty as a ninja.

'_This feeling…I'd almost rather die now than get it over with'_ The Uchiha was taking things much worse, sweating nervously, the kunai in his hand seemed to be drifting a little to close to his heart to be useful in self-defense.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you guys, even if it kills me. I don't let my comrades die" The calm voice of their sensei seemed to snap the three out of their internal conflict.

"We'll see about that!" Zabuza said, suddenly appearing between Team Seven and Tazuna.

"It's Over!" Just as the mist-Nin begun to swing his sword, Kakashi appeared, driving a kunai into the man's chest.

"S-Sensei, behind you!" Naruto shouted, pointing towards a second Zabuza, just as the first one dispersed into water. The new Zabuza let out a laugh as he cleaved the odd-eyed jounin in two with his blade, only to scowl as he dissolved into water.

'Mizu Bunshin? He copied my technique in this mist?'

"Don't move" The real Kakashi said, holding a kunai threateningly against the ex-mist-Nin's neck. "It's over"

"Hehe, 'it's over'? You think you can beat me with you're monkey like imitations?"

"I'm not that easy" Zabuza said from behind him, just as the silver-haired Nin cut 'his' neck, and his captive too turned into water.

Dropping to the ground, Kakashi narrowly avoided the man's Zanbatou. Driving the enormous blade into the ground, Zabuza used his momentum to deliver a powerful kick into the Jounin's ribs, sending him crashing into the lake.

"Sensei!!"

'_Kakashi-sensei got knocked down?' _

'_This guy's strong in Taijutsu…'_

"This water…its heavy" Kakashi commented, as he pulled himself up onto the surface.

"Heh, fool. Suirou no Jutsu!" As the ex-mist-Nin thrust his hands out, a swirling sphere of water surrounded the leaf-jounin, trapping him.

"Kuso!" Kakashi swore, trying to move in his prison.

"It's too much trouble if you can move, we can finish things later but first, Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!" Forming a single hand seal, Zabuza created yet another copy of himself from the plentiful liquid around him.

"Stupid kids, wearing you're hitai-ate and pretending to be real ninja, but you know what? A real ninja…is someone who has endured and survived countless brushes with death. Basically, once you're good enough to be listed in my bingo book, _then _you can start calling yourselves ninja" The clone said, as it faded away from view.

"Kuso!!" Naruto swore, before clenching his eyes shut in concentration.

'_Focus, you can't see him but you can still smell him…water, water, water, gah! He's made of water! Wait, there! Chakra!' _Having located his foe, Naruto leapt to the side, scarcely avoiding a kick to the head.

'_Damn it, he's too fast!' _Naruto swore internally as he skidded to a rough stop.

"You guys! Take Tazuna-san and run! As long as I'm trapped he can't move, and the clone can't go too far away from the original! Just run away now!!" Kakashi shouted, frantically from with his prison.

'_No, not again! I can't let my team-mates die again!' _The silver haired Nin thought desperately.

"Kakashi-sensei…Urusai!" Naruto exclaimed, causing the silver-haired jounin to balk.

"No, don't run away!"

"We run, we die, the prey gets killed by the predator. Besides, you expect us to abandon a comrade? Forget that! Lets switch things up a bit, Sasuke!! Fire!!" Not expecting the order, the Uchiha offered no resistance as he ran through the seals.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!!" Caught off guard, the clone was quickly evaporated, leaving the slightly smaller fireball screaming towards Zabuza and his captive.

"Tch, not bad but…" Dipping his sword in the chakra-laden water, the ex-mist-Nin waited until the last second before heaving the great blade upwards with his free hand, his greater chakra won out against the weakened attack, and the fireball was cleft in half, before decapitating harmlessly. "…You're still just a brat" He finished with a grunt, forming the hand seal to make another Mizu-Bunshin as he did so.

"Hey No-Brows, heads up! Kage Shuriken Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, leaping from behind the smoke of Sasuke's attack.

'_The fireball was just a diversion to get close to me?'_ The missing Nin's eyes widened as he was suddenly faced with a literal storm of shuriken.

'_Tch, I can't deflect all of them!' _Wrenching his arm free of the prison, he flashed through some hand seals

"Suiton: Suijinheki!" As he finished the technique, a pillar of fast-rotating water rose before him, sucking in all the shuriken.

"Damn brat, that was you're last mistake" The man said menacingly, as the blonde landed with a splash into the water. Before he could do anything, however, the man found his arm restrained.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"Hey Naruto, nice 'plan'" The silver-haired Nin commented. "You guys have grown up"

"Hehe, I figured we can't beat him then get someone who can" Naruto grinning, bobbing up and down in the water.

"Heh, I got distracted and released the Jutsu" the ex-mist-Nin said offhandedly.

"Wrong, you didn't release it, you were forced to" Kakashi commented, eliciting a snarl from the missing-Nin.

"I should warn you, I don't fall for the same technique twice…what will you do?"

'_Alright Obito, it's time for some fun'_

"Bah!" Breaking free of the Nin's grip, Zabuza leapt backwards and began forming a multitude of seals. His Sharingan spinning, Kakashi mimicked the man's movements perfectly.

"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu"

"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu"

A pair of colossal water dragons rose up from the lake and charged at one another, exploding in a torrent of water.

'_That many seals…and he matched them perfectly' _Sasuke all but gasped, as he covered his face from the water.

'_Is that a Nin Jutsu?' _Sakura wondered, protecting the bridge-builder from the majority of the flow.

As the water cleared, the two Nin's met in the middle, sword clashing against kunai.

'_Strange…what's going on?' _The ex-mist-Nin grunted as he leapt back again, forming a new hand seal, only to see that his foe had already formed the same seal.

'_My movements…he's completely-'_

"Reading them" The silver-haired Nin finished, still copying the missing-Nin's movements.

'_What? Did he read my-'_

"Mind?"

'_Damn that-'_

"Freaky eye is really starting to piss me off…right?"

"Heh…all you're doing is copying me."

"You can't beat me you monkey bastard!!!" Kakashi finished, causing the ex-mist-Nin's eyes to widen with fury.

"Damn you, I'll make it so you can never open that mouth again!" Zabuza snarled, speeding through the remaining hand seals, only to widen his eyes in shock at what he saw.

'_I-is that me? I-is this one of his Gen Jutsu?' _He demanded, astounded at the sight of a second him, standing behind Kakashi and doing the same seals.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu" Kakashi said, finishing the technique before Zabuza, his Sharingan spinning.

'_What? Impossible!! I'm the one doing the Jutsu, but I can't keep up'_

A torrential vortex of water rose from the lake, and came crashing down on the sword wielding Nin.

"How?…can you see the future?" Zabuza demanded, smashing roughly against a tree trunk.

"Yeah…you're future is death" Kakashi answered, brandishing a kunai. Before he could use it, however, a trio of senbon flew out and drove themselves into the missing-nin's neck, penetrating out the other side. Momochi Zabuza fell dead onto the ground as a masked figure appeared in a nearby tree.

"You're right, he did die" The figure said, playfully. Frowning, Kakashi Shunshin'd down to Zabuza's limp body and checked his pulse, while his genin resumed formation around Tazuna, wary of the newcomer.

"He's dead"

"Arigato-gozaimasu. I've been searching for the opportunity to kill Zabuza for a long time." The masked figure explained, bowing in gratitude.

"That mask…you're a Kirigakure hunter-Nin" Kakashi observed, his eyes never leaving the mysterious figure.

"Impressive, you are correct."

"Hunter-Nin?" Naruto asked, wishing he'd paid more attention in Iruka's class.

"Hai, it is my job to track down and kill missing Nin of Kirigakure"

'_From the sound of his voice he's about Naruto's age…he's no normal kid' _Kakashi thought sternly.

Naruto glared at the hunter-Nin, before glancing at Zabuza, then glaring back again. This happened several times before he finally snapped.

"You!! Who do you think you are-ttebayo!!?" He demanded, fury in his voice.

'_Eh, what's Naruto's problem?'_ Sakura wondered, confusion on her face

'_Tch, Dobe's probably jealous' _Sasuke assumed, scowling.

"Relax Naruto, he's not an enemy" Kakashi sighed, standing up.

"That's not the problem!! Zabuza was you're kill-ttebayo!! And HE comes out of no-where, steals that kill and goes to take credit for it? A guy that strong, and some kid kills him in an instant! A kid not much different from any of us, we look stupid! How am I supposed to understand that-ttebayo!" As his rant died down, Kakashi ruffled his head affectionately.

'_Well, at least he's thinking of the pride of the team as a whole'_

"I understand how you feel but the fact is, in this world there are people younger than you…yet stronger than me," He said. Still being stubborn, Naruto just looked away.

"I apologize if I have offended you, but this is my duty. You're battle is over, and I must dispose of this body, for it is a body with many secrets. Farewell" Forming a hand sign, the masked-Nin vanished via Shunshin no Jutsu, taking Zabuza's body with him.

"Eh, he's gone..."

"Haa…Well I suppose we'd better get Tazuna-san back to his house" Kakashi said, letting out a groan as he covered his eye.

'_Obito you greedy bastard, you took too much chakra'_

"Guys, I can't thank you enough! Come on, lets get back to my house and relax for a while" Tazuna grinned, only to have Kakashi collapse on the dirt in front of him.

"Huh, Kakashi-sensei? What's wrong?"

"My…chakra…too much…Sharingan" He murmured, before collapsing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Kakashi-san, are you okay?" Tsunami, Tazuna's twenty-nine year old daughter asked as the one-eyed Jounin stirred from his sleep.

"Yeah…I just can't move for a week or so, it drains a lot of chakra when I use my Sharingan too much, it's called chakra depletion. When I shinobi uses too much chakra their body runs out of physical energy. It'll take a while to recharge"

"Geez, the Sharingan is incredible, but…if it puts that much stress on you then I guess you have to think before using it, was Zabuza really that powerful?" Sakura asked, an inquisitive expression on her face.

"Well, he's the man known as Kirigakure no Kijin, you see, in Kirigakure, up until recently they had a certain test for genin hopefuls"

"What test?"

"They where pitted against one another in mortal combat. Students who had trained, eaten, and lived with one another for years where forced to kill one another or else be killed themselves."

"That's…harsh"

"Of course, all that changed when a devil appeared, Momochi Zabuza, not even amongst the years graduates kill all one-hundred of the genin hopefuls in a matter of minutes. He then rose through the ranks, and eventually became accepted as a member of Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu, and received his Zanbatou, after killing its previous wielder. He later attempted a coup against the Mizukage, he failed and has been hunted ever since."

"Wow…how do you know so much about him Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, amazed by his sensei's knowledge about the enemy.

"Although technically I'm not supposed to reveal it, the tattoo on my shoulder is proof enough, I was once a member of Konoha's ANBU, the black ops. As such, It was my job to know the political situation in all our neighboring countries in case it impacts the mission."

"Cool, so you know like, heaps of awesome techniques then?" Naruto gushed,

'Wow, sensei just keeps getting cooler and cooler'

"Ne, sensei, what about that masked kid, who was he?" Sakura asked, Naruto's scowl going unnoticed by the group.

"That mask was the one worn by Kirigakure special hunter-Nin team. They're also known as the body-erasers. Their duty is to dispose of the body without a trace," Kakashi explained. "A Ninja's body has within it the secrets of the villages Nin Jutsu, different chakra types, herbs, and other things that will reveal secrets about the village. For example, if I died, the secrets of the Sharingan could be revealed. If you're not careful there's a danger that the enemy will steal your techniques. So by killing and disposing of the missing Nin's who have abandoned their village, the hunter-Nin's protect the village secrets. No sound, no smell, that's a ninja's end"

"So Zabuza's been chopped up? Scary" Sakura shuddered.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"First, I'll cut the mask, drain some blood, and then…" The hunter Nin all but sang, his hand reaching into his tool satchel for a pair of clippers. As he drew the blades closer to the corpses mouth, he suddenly tensed.

"No thanks, I'll do it myself!!" Zabuza snarled, grabbing the hunter-Nin's arm and tearing the bandages away from his mouth to reveal rows of teeth, each one filed to a point.

"Oh…you've already come back to life" The masked-Nin commented, almost disappointedly.

"Damn…you sure are rough" Zabuza growled, tearing the senbon out from his neck.

"Ah! You shouldn't be so rough on yourself, if you pull them out like that you'll really die" The young Nin fretted, bustling around like a mother hen

"How long are you going to wear that stupid mask?" Zabuza demanded, discarding the used senbon on the ground.

"It reminds me of the old days…plus it was useful for this act," The Nin said, removing the mask.

"Tch, why'd you have to go for the neck?" Zabuza demanded "It hurts like crap now, you could have aimed for a less painful spot you know"

"I know" The Nin smiled. "But I didn't want to mar you're beautiful body, and the neck has less muscle so it's easier to aim for"

"You just like inflicting pain on me don't you?" The Kirigakure no Kijin sighed, looking up at the sky.

"Nonsense, I just like making you feel better afterwards" The Nin blushed slightly.

"Keep you're mind on the job" Zabuza reprimanded harshly.

"Gomen, with the point I hit you should be able move soon, but you won't be back to full strength for about a week"

"You see, that's what I like about you, you're clever and pure" Zabuza said, glancing at his sword.

"Hehe, that's because I'm just a kid" The Nin replied, blushing.

"You say that now…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi stirred in his sleep, his…_Obito's _eye was tingling…a premonition for things to come…his eye shot open

"Kyaah!" Sakura let out a scream as she fell backwards.

"O-Oh, Kakashi-sensei, you're awake" She stammered nervously.

'_**Shannaro! I was **_**this **_**close to seeing under his mask!' **_

"I told you, that things blessed, or cursed, or however you wanna look at it. Point being you're gonna have to use up just about all you're good karma to see it…"

"Grrrr, stupid sensei"

'_What…what's this feeling? Zabuza's dead, isn't he? What am I missing?'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Onikyoudai-demon brothers

Doujutsu-eye technique

Sharingan-copy/borrow wheel eye

Tomoe-comma shape design, usually seen in decorations

Zanbatou-a type of oversized sword, said to be able to kill both a horse and its rider with a single blow…was never actually used in real life

Mizu Bunshin-Water clone

Suiro no Jutsu-art of the water prison

Urusai-you're obnoxious, synonymous with 'shut up'

Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu-Water: art of the water dragon

Suiton: Suijinheki-Water: Water encampment wall

Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu-Water: Art of the great crashing waterfall

Shunshin-body flicker, that thing where they vanish in a swirl of stuff and/or a blur. Little more than chakra-enhanced high-speed movement

Kirigakure no Kijin- fierce god/demon of hidden mist

Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu-Seven swordsman of mist

Mizukage-water shadow

ANBU-lit means 'darker side (of things)', is actually an acronym for **An**satsu Senjutsu Tokushu **Bu**tai (Special Assassination and Tactical Squad). Think of it as the Naruto version of SWAT

Today's 'Stuff I think I know about…kinda': Doujutsu of Konoha

For a very detailed description of the Sharingan and Byakugan, just Google or Yahoo "Naruto Fever", go the the theory section, and read the Sharingan and Byakugan theories there.

(New)Author's Note: I completely removed the previous authors notes on the Byakugan and Sharingan in favor of the theories on "Naruto Fever" Please dont skip those, I beleve that if they were an existing ability that is how it would work, it explains it very scientificly, sorry for allt he confution and recomend all the ones who read this chapter already re-reads this part.


	17. YukiOnna

Chapter 17

Yuki-Onna

_The fox learns that the mist-demon lives, and strives to become stronger. After being out-run by the raven, the fox meets the Ice-Maiden, and they exchange favors, before parting ways._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi had a vexed expression on his face as he pondered the situation.

"Eh, something the matter Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto asked from the foot of the bed.

"Its just that…hunter-Nin usually dispose of their kills on the spot…yet how did that masked boy dispose of Zabuza's body?" The one-eyed Ninja asked.

"How should we know, the masked guy took the body with him" Sakura shrugged.

"Exactly, if he needed proof of his work he could have just taken the head…and the weapon that he used to kill Zabuza…simple needles…". As the gray-haired Nin spoke, Sasuke's eyes widened with realization.

"N-No way…" He spoke, astonished.

"Ehh? What are you guys talking about?" Tazuna asked, his voice filled with confusion.

"Most likely…Momochi Zabuza is alive!" The Jounin said dramatically, eliciting shocked cries from 2/3rds of his team and from Tazuna. Tsunami, who hadn't seen what the Zanbatou wielding Nin was capable of looked skeptical.

"What?? But you said No-Brows was dead!!" Naruto demanded, his voice betraying his frustration.

"Yeah but…there's way to force the body into…temporary death. The weapon he used; senbon, unless you strike a vital point has a low probability of killing you're opponent, and a hunter-Nin would know all about different bodily points…. coupled with how he carried Zabuza, a man much heavier than he was, means that his goal was…"

"Not to kill Zabuza…but to save him!" Sakura exclaimed, grasping what her sensei was getting at.

"Bah, You sure you guys aren't just reading too much into things? Hunter-Nin's are supposed to kill missing-Nin" Tazuna grunted, obviously hoping for the easy way out.

"Iie, even if we are wrong, there's no guarantee Gatou hasn't simply hired a stronger ninja. A shinobi must always prepare for the worst-case scenario" Kakashi said, out of the corner of his eye he noticed Naruto, trembling with excitement.

'Heh, he's actually glad that Zabuza might still be alive'

"Sensei, you say we need to prepare…but you can barley move, how are you supposed to prepare?"

"Hehe, you guys are going to do a little training" The masked Nin smiled.

"What?? What's a little training going to do? Zabuza's an opponent even you struggled against!"

'_**Shannaro! Trying to get us killed?!'**_

"Sakura, who was it that saved me while I was struggling? You guys are improving rapidly"

"Wow, really?"

"Of course, you won't beat him without me, but in the shinobi world, every bit counts" Kakashi finished, deflating their slightly engorged ego's.

"But Sensei, if Zabuza is alive he could attack anytime, is it right that we should be training?" Sakura demanded, her eyes flickering from Tazuna to her teammates.

"About that…you see, when a person is put into momentary death, it takes a while for their body to get back to normal"

"So we train until then, right? Dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.

"What's so great about that?" A young boy, wearing overalls and an oversized hat asked.

"Grrr, Who the hell are you?!" Naruto demanded, pointing an accusatory finger.

"Oh!!!! Inari-kun, where were you?" Tazuna greeted the boy, warmly with open arms.

"Welcome back, Ojii-san" The child said rather subdued, walking over to the bridge-builder.

"Inari-kun, say hello to these people, they're the ninja that protected you're Ojii-san" Tsunami said, as the boy huddled next to his grandfather. Making no reply at first, he just shot them a dark look.

"Kaa-san, they're going to die," He said, pointing at them like a museum exhibit.

"You little brat, show some faith in our ability why don't ya?" Naruto demanded irritably

"There's no way you can win against Gatou" the kid said, not making eye contact.

"Little punk, her Inari listen I got no intention of dying anytime soon. Until I become Hokage I will never die! No idiot with a bunch of hired goons is going to stop me " The blonde proclaimed, clenching his fist for emphasis.

"Pfft, what are you stupid? Just because you don't wanna die doesn't mean he won't wanna kill you. If you want to live I suggest you leave now" The boy said, before turning around.

'_**Insolent brat! Rip his ears off!!'**_

"Inari-kun, where are you going?" His concerned grandfather asked.

"To watch the ocean, from my room" There was a small crash as the child slammed the door shut.

"I'm sorry about that," Tazuna said, only to see Naruto get up and follow his grandson.

'_Little piece of shit! I'll give him a piece of my mind!' _The blonde thought angrily as he ascended a staircase. Just as he reached the boy's room he paused.

"_Uhuu, uhuu, uhuuuu" _The muffled sound of misery could be heard from the other side of the door.

'_Is he…crying?' _Naruto thought, a grim reminder of something the fox-boy would never be able to genuinely do, just emulate.

"Uhuu, Tou-san…"

Feeling his anger evaporating, the blonde turned and descended back down to his teammates.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Okay, now we start the training"

"HELL YEAH!!"

The group of four was assembled within a sparse forest, a few meters near them a stream babbled gently. Kakashi stood supported by a pair of crutches.

"A while ago, I taught you how to climb trees without your hands, with the experience gained from that exercise you where able to master a new Jutsu each"

'Well…they can perform it on command at least'

"Now, I'm going to teach you a new exercise" The masked Nin explained, turning to face the river.

"What? What?" The orange clad genin demanded, excitably.

"How to cross a river, without getting wet" The one-eyed jounin smiled, before stepping out onto the water's surface. When he failed to sink, his genin where amazed.

"That is so cool!!"

"The concept is very much the same as the tree climbing exercise, except instead of using you're chakra to stick to the surface, you need to use it to push you away. But if you use too little you sink, and if you use too much…well you break the surface tension and sink anyway" The silver-haired jounin smiled, before walking back onto dry land.

"Alright! Lets do this!" Naruto exclaimed, forming a concentration type hand seal.

'_Focus chakra to the feet, and push away from the water' _Feeling confidant, he deftly stepped onto the slow-moving water.

'Splash'

"Gyaaaah!!" The orange-clad Nin almost flew in his struggle to get out of the water.

"Oh yeah, the waters in these parts are fairly cold, so best not to fall in" The one-eyed sensei smiled, before pulling out his little orange book.

'_If the tree-climbing exercise was any indication, Sakura will master the skill first, although how long she can maintain remains to be seen; I'm curious as to how her stamina has grown. There's no telling who'll _be_ first between Naruto and Sasuke…' _The jounin let out a small giggle, leaning to the side to avoid another splash of water.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The young boy looked up as the door to their hideout opened, and a group of three walked in.

'_Great, what does _he _want?'_

"So, even you have come back defeated" A short, overweight man sneered, his eyes hidden by a pair of black spectacles. To his left stood Waraji, a man of great girth, an eye patch over his left eye, an ornate tattoo spanning from his left arm to his bare chest, and a katana held to his right. To the right of the man stood Zouri, a shorter man with shoulder length hair, clown-like markings beneath his eyes, and dressed in a heavy parka jacket. He held a katana at his left side.

"It looks like Kiri ninja are pretty pathetic, you can't even avenge you're men. And you call yourself a Kijin? Don't make me laugh". The short man laughed, Zabuza for his part, didn't even bother to dignify him with a comment.

"Hey now," The man said, walking towards the bed-ridden ninja. "There's no need to stay silent" Sneering, the man reached for the ex-Kiri-Nin's bandaged face. "Why don't I just…" Before he could finish his sentence a second hand shot out and grabbed his, gripping it tightly.

"**Don't you **_**dare **_**touch Zabuza-sama with you're dirty hands!" **The boy's eyes where cold and hard, the air seemed to chill just through his gaze.

"Guh! You!" The two Ronin reached for their swords but in an instant the boy appeared between them, their own swords held against their necks.

'_S-so fast..'_

"**I wouldn't do that if I were you, I'm **_**very **_**pissed at the moment" **His voice was chilly, and promised violent death, his words almost seemed to solidify in the air as he spoke them, remaining even after the sounds had ended.

'B-Bakemono!'

"One more time!! If you fail one more time, don't except any more work! Remember that!!" The man shouted, storming off. Wincing, he gripped his wrist which was already turning red, almost as if burnt.

"Haku…you didn't have to…" Zabuza started, his grip of his hidden kunai relaxing.

"I know, but if we kill him now, they will come after us again. We must be patient if you want to realize you're goals" The boy, Haku, smiled.

"Yeah…you're right…" Zabuza resigned, slumping in the bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"H-hey! I think I'm getting the hang of this" Naruto grinned, his feet wobbling shakily on the surface of the water.

"Tch, took you long enough Dobe" Sasuke retorted. The dark haired youth was walking confidently, albeit with a slight wobble in his step.

"Aah…I'm almost out, sorry but I got to call it quits" Sakura said, stepping off from the water, leaving barley a ripple.

'_Well, she lasted over an hour…at least she's improving' _Kakashi thought,

"Alright Sakura, you can go to the bridge and keep an eye on Tazuna-san, you two! You don't want to get left behind do you?" The one-eyed jounin smiled encouragingly. At the unexpected noise, there was another splash.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'Yawn'

'So boring' Sakura sighed, stretching her arms in an effort to resist her tiredness. All around her the only sound that could be heard was the repetitive 'clinks' and 'thunks' of construction.

"You sure seem bored by yourself" Tazuna commented, a large metal girder hoisted across his shoulder. "Where's the blonde kid and the other one?"

"Oh, they're still training" She replied, rubbing her eyes.

"You don't have to?"

"Nope, I already finished the exercise, besides, someone's got to guard you" She said smugly.

"Well…at least I got someone watching my back" He said, somewhat unenthusiastically.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

'_**Shannaro! Escort or not, I'm about to wop him one!!'**_

"Hey Tazuna!" The pair turned to look to the owner of the voice, an aged construction worker with white hair and liver spots.

"Huh? What is it Giichi?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and…can I stop working on the bridge?" The man said suddenly.

"What? Why? This is so sudden!! Not you too!!" Tazuna exclaimed, waving his arms in exasperation.

"Tazuna, we've been close or a long time now, but if we continue this Gatou will notice, and if you get killed what's the point? I want to help you, but I've got a family to think about"

"You idiot! It's because I care about your family, everyone in Nami, that I'm building this bridge! If I have to die to achieve that, then so be it"

"T-Tazuna-san…"

"It's almost noon…lets call it a day. Giichi, you don't have to turn up tomorrow," The bridge-builder said coldly, not looking the deserter in the eye.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Sasuke-Teme, since we've both just about got this down, lets race!" Naruto grinned, not even wobbling on the waters surface.

"Tch, as if a Dobe like you could keep up with me" Sasuke retorted, snidely.

"Grrr…you're on!" Naruto exclaimed, before racing down the river, a trail of splashes behind him

'_Kuso, it's harder to do this while running!' _He cursed, as one of his feet momentarily slipped below the surface, the momentary delay was all it took for the Uchiha to overtake him.

"Gaah! Damn you Sasuke!!!!" The blonde yelled, picking up his own pace. Turning a corner, he quickly ducked beneath an overhanging branch, before swerving to avoid a rock.

"Sasuke-Teme! I won't lose!!" The dark haired youth offered a quick glance behind him, before running even faster, kicking up a spray of water behind his steps.

Frowning, the Uzumaki got a plan; like this the Uchiha had the advantage, being better built for sprinting across long distance…but if he changed his running style…

The last Uchiha furrowed his brow as the blonde's splashing seemingly doubled; he could tell by the volume that his teammate was getting closer

'_How?? He was barley keeping up a moment ago!' _Glancing behind him, he saw the reason; the blonde was actually running on all fours! Normally that would slow a human down, and make movement awkward, but for his orange-clad teammate it actually improved the boy's speed and mobility,

'What? Just what's the Dobe playing at?' Turning another corner, the dark-haired youth regained his confidence, he could see the bridge just ahead,

"Hey Dobe! Last one past the bridge cooks dinner!" The Uchiha called, waging the first thing to come to his head.

"You're on!" Forcing out the last of his reserves, the Uchiha sped towards certain victory, something that didn't sit well with the blonde.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" With a 'poof' a single clone appeared, running alongside him. Nodding once, the clone grabbed him by the arm. Spinning once, he was turned into a literal living projectile, flying towards the finish line. Victory was with his grasp!

'CRACK!'

'Splash'

"Itaiiii!"

Naruto dragged himself to the surface, coughing out water as he did so. Looking ahead through stinging eyes he saw his rival, standing smugly on the side of the unfinished bridge. Glancing around, he saw the clone that had thrown him, walking towards him and shaking its head.

"You idiot!!! Watch where you're aiming next time!!" He yelled angrily at the doppelganger.

"Urusai!! It's not my fault you're so heavy, try flapping next time!!"

"You son of a bitch, I'll kill you!!" The blonde took a flying leap at the blonde, catching him off guard.

"I'm heading back to the house, you might want to start looking for ingredients" The Uchiha said, reaching the top of the bridge and walking away. He failed to notice the blonde tearing out the jugular of his own clone, effectively dispersing it.

"Itaiii!!" The Uzumaki yelled suddenly, the memory of having his own throat torn out forcing its way into his brain.

"Stupid clones!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto let out a sigh as he re-entered the woods. He briefly considered letting his tail out, but decided against it.

'I can't risk it if someone else happens to find me' Letting out a small grumble at his own discomfort the blonde set to work gathering the ingredients he'd need to prepare dinner.

'_Including us, Kakashi-sensei, Tsunami-san, Nominuke-san, and tha-…Inari-kun, I need enough food for seven people…lets see…humans don't normally eat bugs and stuff for some reason so they're out…I can tell just from the scent in the air that there's very little in the way of edible plants and stuff…so I guess its down to either rustling up some rabbits…or fish' _Looking out the corner of his eye he spied a small family of rabbits darting into a hole, thy seemed unusually small, and he could see bone protruding from under their skin.

'…_Fish it is!' _

Humming a simple tune, the orange clad genin made his way back to the river.

'_I hope all the fish didn't get scared away by the race…' _Peering into the murky waters, he was relieved to see the telltale glimmers of scales that gave away his piscine prey. Glancing around first to ensure he was alone, he released a small portion of his tail, not enough to see but just enough to draw out his fangs and claws.

"Hehe, here fishy-fishy-fishy-fishy" He chuckled before, for lack of a better word, pouncing into the river.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Haku's head snapped up as he heard a loud splash.

'_What? What is someone else doing here?' _Moving slowly, the boy edged his way towards the source of the noise, a set of senbon already in his hand.

'_Come up from behind. Aim for the throat/. Dispose of the body. I wonder if Zabuza-Sama's comfortable at the moment?' _Carefully moving a branch out of the way, the boy was surprised by the sudden flash of orange that fell before him.

'_That's…the boy from Kakashi's team!' _Drawing back the senbon, the ex-hunter-Nin was about to let fly when…

'Slap!' Haku stared at the fish as it fell from the tree next to him.

"Stupid fish, get back here!" As the blonde genin all but crashed through the foliage the pale-skinned youth disappeared into the trees.

'_He is with the enemy, it would be better for Zabuza-sama if I weakened them now, I must…!' _

"Got ya! Haha…huh? Who's there?" The fox-boy asked, looking right at Haku's hidden form.

'Impossible! He saw me??'

"Ah, Sumimasen. I didn't mean to intrude." The boy said, stepping out from the trees. "I was nearby, and I heard a noise, I was afraid someone had fallen in the river" Haku said, bowing apologetically.

"Nah, no problem. I was just hunting for fish, that's all" Naruto grinned, pointing towards his modest pile of fish. He quickly took in the person before him; with long black hair, and a face that could only be described as beautiful, along with their choice in clothing, and the black choker around the person's neck, looked for all intents and purposes like a young, and quite attractive young girl.

'_But,' _He grinned, his nose twitching _'This has got to be the most beautiful guy I've ever seen…he even gives Kakashi-sensei a run for his money. Hell, most girls have less beauty than he does'_

"Ah, I see. What do you need so much fish for?" Haku asked, discreetly slipping his senbon back into his sleeve.

"Pffft, I got stuck with cooking duty. I got a couple fish but…there's seven of us, and I only got four fish, the rest have all wised up, and I can't get near them" The blonde pouted, glaring daggers at the water's edge.

"I see, perhaps I can be of assistance. I've always had a certain affinity for water" Haku smiled, before heading over to the water.

"Whoa, really? But I'd hate to be any trouble" Naruto said, apologetically.

"Not at all, allow me" Pulling up his sleeves, the youth suddenly got an odd look in his eye.

"What are-" Before the blonde could finish, the boy's hand shot out, almost seeming to cut through the water with its speed. A moment later a fish was dropped onto the embankment, followed by another, then a third. A spray of water seemingly glided through the air, the suns light reflecting through the droplets illuminating the boy's face, giving him an unearthly glow. The blonde reached out hesitantly and touched the fish, which where strangely not moving,

'Cold…'

"_Yuki-Onna…_" Naruto whispered, his eyes getting an awed look about them.

"Wh-what?!" Spluttered the youth, his eyes wide with terror.

'How? How could he??'

"_A faceless beauty, which leaves no footprints, bearing a heart of ice and freezing all she touches…she lures in men from the mountain, entrapping them forever in a cage of ice…"_ Even his voice had an odd quality to it, seeming to burn itself into memory.

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Ehe, just something I…heard about, from a…long time ago. I mean, you walk so silently, you might as well be floating, you've certainly been blessed with a face of beauty" The blonde grinned, cheekily.

"I'm a guy," Haku said flatly.

"I know. I'm sure there are some male Yuki-Onna somewhere, why not here? So have you come to spirit me away, oh Yuki-Onna-san?" Naruto smirked, leaning closer to the youth, his body on autopilot created by years of seduction training, having noticed a glint of what was at the very least curiosity in the youth's eyes.

"Iie, I've already found someone" Haku replied, blushing slightly.

"Fair enough, don't let it be said I'm one to force my interests. Thanks for the fish by the way, I wish I could repay you someway"

"Iie, You need to prepare dinner for you're friends don't you?"

"Yeah…hey! Why don't you join us for dinner, I'm sure you'll be welcome" The blonde offered, smiling sincerely.

'He barley knows me and he's offering me to a meal? How can a ninja be so trusting?'

"Iie, I need to gather some herbs, they're why I was out here in the first place."

"Alright then! I'll help you gather herbs!" The blonde said triumphantly.

"But what about you're friend's dinner?" Haku asked,

"Easy, I can do both" Naruto grinned, before forming a familiar hand-sign.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" With a poof of smoke an identical copy of the blonde was standing right next to him.

"Alright! You! You're on dinner, I'll help Yuki-Onna-san here" Naruto explained, causing his clone to frown.

"Why do you get to hang out with the cute guy?" The clone whined.

"Because I created you, and I can destroy you. Besides, you wanna look at guys you can stare at Sasuke-Teme" Naruto shrugged.

"Pfft, he's such an ass. I'd have more fun hitting on Iruka-sensei" The clone commented offhandedly, while gathering up the fish.

"Iruka-sensei's so predictable, you'd get bored after about an hour"

"Yeah…you're right." The clone relented, walking away with the fish.

"That…was…" Haku began, trying to find the words to describe what he'd just witnessed.

"Huh? Oh that's just a Jutsu I know, it comes in handy. Now! On to those herbs!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Naruto, there you are! What took you so long?" The blondes ink-haired team-mate demanded.

"Ehehe, gomen Sakura-Chan. These fish where really hard to catch" Naruto chuckled apologetically, before dumping the pile of fish next to the kitchen sink"

"Wait, you caught fish?"

"Well, the only rabbits I found where a scrawny bunch, and fish was the only option. Why, you don't like fish?"

"N-No, its just…"

'_Somehow I imagined him just buying something from a store…or else just whip out a box of instant ramen…'_

"Ne, Tsunami-nee-Chan, could I get a cleaver and a gut-bucket?" The blonde asked, absent-mindedly lining up the fish on a chopping board.

"Ah, sure thing Naruto-kun" The young woman said, before getting up and opening a cupboard.

'_Wow…who knew Naruto-baka knew his way around a kitchen so well' _the Kunoichi thought, as the blonde began systematically gutting the fish.

'_**Bah, that's assuming he doesn't poison us like the idiot he is!'**_

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So what brings you to Nami? You're obviously not from around here," Naruto asked, gently plucking another herb from the ground and placing in the boy's basket.

"Is it that obvious?" Haku, as he'd learned his name was, asked.

"Not that much, but you're clothes seem of better quality than most the other people round here have, and you smell different"

"Smell?" Haku asked incredulously. Naruto grinned and tapped his nose.

"Yup, nothing gets past this guy" The blonde assured.

'_There's a chance he may recognize my scent from before if what he says is true…I will need to be careful'_

"If you must know, I'm traveling with someone, and we where staying here until we move on"

"Oh…this that _'someone' _you mentioned before?" Naruto grinned, wagging his pinky suggestively.

"T-That is!" The pretty youth flustered.

"Relax, I'm just teasing ya," The blonde said assuredly.

"And what of you? Judging from your headband, and that Jutsu you used earlier, I take it you're a ninja"

"Yeah…I guess it is kinda obvious. We're here on a mission"

"Oh? What kind of mission?"

"If I told you…I'd have to kill you," The blonde said, giving the youth a toothy grin.

"You seem confident." Haku giggled, "I guess you must be strong then?"

"Yeah…but I got to get stronger!"

"Why…is that?" The boy asked, an odd expression on his face.

"I need to become Hokage, the strongest ninja in the village, only then will I be acknowledged" The blonde said confidently.

'Only then will the glares stop…only then will I be seen as an actual person'

"I…see…is that for you, or for someone else?" Haku asked, giggling when the blonde gave him a confused look.

"What's so funny?" The orange-clad genin demanded.

"Its just…do you have a person you consider 'precious'?"

"What…do you mean?"

"When someone has something precious to protect…that is when they can become truly strong" The pale-skinned youth said ambiguously.

"Someone…precious?" In his mind, the blonde recalled the feeling he'd felt when his former sensei had been in danger, the aura of confidence his current sensei had extruded when he'd been protecting them against Zabuza.

"Yeah…I think I get what you're saying…what about you? Who's you're precious person?" Naruto asked.

"He is…someone to whom I owe my life…you see…both my parents are dead" As the boy spoke sadly, Naruto couldn't help but sympathize, though chose to remain silent.

"My father…killed my mother because of…who she was, who she used to be. He then tried to kill me so that her line would never continue…I was forced to kill my own father out of self-defense…I hadn't even intended to…I was nine years old at the time…"

"Th-that is…"

"With no purpose in life, I wondered, barley even aware of my own existence, but the…_he_ found me, gave me a reason to live. _He _is my everything, and for him I would do anything"

"I…I think I understand what you're saying, and I can see what you mean" Naruto said, somewhat demurely.

"I'm glad, believe me when I say you will become strong. I would like for us to meet again somewhere" Haku said, picking up his basket.

"Yeah…I'd like that too" Naruto smiled, before glancing up at the sky.

"Kuso!! I'd better hurry if I want to eat! Stupid clone better not steal my meal!!" He exclaimed, before running off himself.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Yuki-Onna-literally means 'ice-maiden', a youkai or spiritual being from Japanese mythology.

bakemono- monster

Sumimasen- sorry, excuse me

A/N: Basically I had Haku reveal his life story to Naruto (sans Zabuza's name, and his bloodline) for one primary reason; I hate it when people sit and talk in the midst of a fight. There were some other reasons, but nothing worth pointing out here.

The race: I didn't want to re-use the 'eat, then vomit' scene, and its hard to compare progress in a skill like water walking, and this was the first way that I could thing of to continue they're rivalry…or at least show that it was there.

p.s. Even though Naruto's been eating raw foods from the forest for several years now, he'd still lived on his own for a while, and would have learned to cook from then, so don't message me about it.


	18. Heart of a Demon, Who Lives and Who Dies

Chapter 18

Heart of a Demon, Who Lives and Who Dies?

_The fox and raven face the ice-maiden, while the scarecrow faces the demon. The raven is frozen out of the sky, and the fox cries out for revenge. The ice maiden melts beneath the fox's rage, whilst the demon is cut down by the scarecrow's sword. Mist and Ice become water, together and are no more, the raven lands safely, but the thief is still out there. Gathering up the spilt water, the fox takes all from the thief, leaving him with nothing. _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Uwaah, I'm exhausted-ttebayo" Naruto yawned, slumping down at the table. It had been several days since Team Seven had mastered the water-walking exercise, since then they had been spending their days guarding Tazuna at the bridge. Or at least, they had been guarding, that changed once Naruto got sufficiently bored. Feeling the need to release his pent-up energy, and all too aware of just how few workers remained, the blonde had taken matters into his own hands. Two dozen clones later; Tazuna had been granted an orange army of grinning workers for the price of one. Working in pairs, the squads where quick to pick up the slack created by the absentees. Not wanting to be out-done, Sasuke had also chipped in; and where there's Sasuke, there's Sakura, resulting in the entire three-man team working on the bridge throughout the day, for the ongoing time of five days.

"Hehe, I can't thank you enough for all the help, thanks to you guys the bridge is almost complete. Although, I must ask if its okay more my guards to be doing my manual labor?" Tazuna asked, unconsciously patting his wallet.

"Hmm? Just think of it as more training. Weight lifting, endurance, you know" Kakashi hummed as he leafed through his book

"Ugh-" With a grunt, Naruto's head dropped to the table, a goofy smile on his lips. A quiet, almost purr-like snoring could be heard. As he slumbered, the blonde felt a pair of eyes burning into his skull. Looking up, he saw Inari, bleary-eyed and almost angry looking.

"Eh? Whaddya want?" The blonde demanded bluntly.

"You…why…why do you bother to try so hard!? No matter how hard you work you're still no match for Gatou's men!! No matter what glorious claims you make, or how hard you train, when facing the strong the weak only end up getting killed!!" The child exclaimed, bringing his fists down on the table in anger, surprising those seated there.

'Again with the tears…' The blonde thought, glancing at the torn picture on the wall. Tsunami had told them the story behind the picture some days earlier, of the hero of Nami, and how Gatou publicly executed him to destroy their morale, and robbing Inari of his father.

"Whatever, I'm not like you," The blonde said offhandedly.

"You! I'd hate to be like you! You don't know anything about the country and yet you're being so nosey!! What the hell do you know about me!? I'm different from you; you're always clowning around and acting so goddamn cheerful! You don't know how hard life can be!!"

'_I don't know? I __**don't know!?'**_

"So it's okay for you to just sit there and cry all day? Will your tears buy off Gatou? Who would want something that you throw around so carelessly? You wanna cry such wasteful tears? Fine! Just sit there and cry! Cry, and cry, and cry until it's _your _eyes that bleed!! You…you're just a goddamn coward!" Naruto snarled, his voice laced with fury and contempt.

"Naruto! You went to far!" Sakura exclaimed, angrily.

"I'm going" The blonde said, standing up from the table. "I don't think I could stomach dead meat tonight" Scowling, he walked out the door, his hands flexing menacingly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Inari stared at the water as he sat at the dock, staring blankly at the tides. A near-full moon hung overhead.

"Mind if I join you?" Glancing behind him, the boy saw Team Seven's jounin sensei standing there. When he got no reply, the silver-haired Nin sat down.

"Naruto didn't mean any harm by what he said" Kakashi said, calmly.

"He just…tends to get emotional…" When the boy remained silent, the jounin chose to continue.

"Tazuna-san told us about your dad. Like you, Naruto also grew-up without a father. Actually he's never known either of his parents. Growing up, he never had a single friend. The truth is, he's had a rougher past than you"

"?"

"But I've never once seen him cry, or complain. Instead he's always striving for other people to acknowledge him, and for that he'd risk his life at anytime…he's probably sick and tired of crying. He may understand you're feelings better than anyone else"

"Huh?"

"He does tend to get attached to people easily…he can't help but be concerned for you. You, your family, the whole of Nami, he feels for your plight" The one-eyed Nin said, smiling.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I found him passed out in a clearing, I think he was out training all night" Kakashi sighed, looking over the blonde's unconscious form.

"Training? But he was so tired yesterday" Tsunami gasped; shocked to the extent the young boy had pushed himself.

"Yeah…Naruto doesn't really know the meaning of the word 'rest'. He probably training non-stop until he fell where he stood"

"Is this about what happened before?"

"Probably, training is a common outlet for stress and anxiety amongst shinobi. But still, he'll probably be out for the rest of the day".

"Damn, well I'll miss his clones but its not like we can't build without them" Tazuna grunted, pulling on his hat. "Alright! Lets go," He commanded, his slightly diminished guard squad trailing behind.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Is the ambush ready? Zabuza, Zabuza, hey! Are you listening?" The headset was crushed underfoot as the ex-Kiri-Nin lifted his Zanbatou.

"Shall we go Haku?"

"Yes, lets"

XXXXXXXXXXX

"AAAH! I overslept!" Naruto screamed as he rushed out of the bedroom.

"Oh, you're awake. You're sensei said you should rest" Tsunami said, watching as the blonde chucked on his jumpsuit and ran out the door.

"I knew it-ttebayo! They left me behind!"

"But you're sensei-"

"I'm off! See ya Tsunami-nee-Chan!" Naruto called out, as he leapt into the trees.

"…I tried…" The woman shrugged, before returning to her knitting.

"Damn it, they should have woken me!" Naruto exclaimed as he leapt from branch to branch. Suddenly he paused and sniffed the air.

"That's-!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Wh-what happened here?" Tazuna gasped as he saw the bodies of his workmen lying strewn across the bridge.

"Tell me, what happened?" He begging, raising a worker off the ground.

"B-Bakemono! The man gasped, before falling unconscious.

'Can it be?' Glancing around he realized it was becoming increasingly difficult to see.

"This mist…they're coming!" Quickly the three ninja's formed a protective triangle around the bridge-builder, each reaching for a weapon.

"Kakashi-sensei, its Zabuza, isn't it?" Sakura asked, trying to peer through the thick mist.

"_Long time no see, Kakashi, I see you've still got those brats with you, nothing but a nuisance if you ask me, allow me to rid you of this nuisance"_ The mist lifted around them, only to reveal that they were surrounded by half a dozen Momochi Zabuza's.

"Sasuke…why don't you show him what this '_nuisance' _can do" Kakashi smiled, merrily, causing the dark-haired boy to grin.

As the Zabuza's started to move, so did Sasuke. A quick blur, and a bit over two seconds later the clones dispersed into water, revealing a smirking Sasuke with a wet kunai in each hand.

"The brat's grown…looks like you've got yourself a little play-mate, Haku"

"Oh…so I was right after all, Sakura I guess that means you lose the bet, The masked one is with Zabuza after all" Kakashi said, whimsically, issuing a groan from the pink-haired girl.

"Tch, he should stop hiding behind a mask and come face us." The bridge-builder said, angrily.

"I'll take him," Sasuke said, scowling. "Tricking us with that stupid act, I hate bastards like that the most."

"A most impressive young man, even if the clones where only 1/10th of your strength, still impressive" Haku said, watching the Uchiha with a cross between respect and curiosity.

"Nonetheless, we have the first advantage, go!" At Zabuza's word, the masked youth whirled out of sight. Sensing an attack, the Uchiha twisted, scarcely avoiding the blow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Inari-kun, come help me with the dishes okay?" Tsunami asked as she cleared the table of breakfast's remains.

"Okay, in a second" The boy replied from the hallway. The woman turned suddenly, as she heard the door opening.

"Are you the daughter of Tazuna?" Zouri, Gatou's right hand man asked, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana. "Sorry, but you're coming with us" He said, as Waraji broke the table before them threateningly

"Mom?" Inari asked as he popped his head around the corner, alerted by the sound of destruction.

"Keh, a kid?

"Run!! Get away!!" The boy's mother pleaded.

"Should we nab him to?" Zouri asked.

"We only need one hostage…" Waraji replied casually.

"So…should we kill him?"

"Wait! I-if you touch that boy, I'll bite off my tongue and bleed to death!" Tsunami said, desperately. "You want a hostage right?" She asked, eying the pair warily.

"Tch, thank you're mom, kid"

"Damn, I wanted to cut something" Waraji complained.

"Ah shut up, lets hurry up and nab the girl" Zouri retorted.

'_Mom…I'm sorry…I'm just a weak kid…I can't protect you!' _Inari sobbed as the men stepped towards his mother.

'_You're nothing but a goddamn coward!' _His eyes widened as the words of the blonde Genin came back to him.

'You wanna cry such worthless tears? Go ahead and cry!'

'_T-that's right…I gotta' _Standing up slowly, the boy noticed something lying on the table.

'T-that's-! The ninja must have left it behind before they left!' Picking up the object and slipping it up his sleeve, he made his way outside. "Stupid girl, move faster!" Zouri demanded, jabbing Tsunami painfully in the back with his hilt.

"Aah!"

'_Mom!'_ Slipping the object into his hand, the boy steeled his nerves and charged.

"Hey Waraji, do you here something?" Zouri asked, glancing at his partner. "Waraji?" Turning fully, he was about to hit the taller man when he suddenly collapsed, a kunai imbedded into his side.

"Who-? You!" He exclaimed, glaring at the Inari, his hands still wrapped around the weapon, his eyes wide with shock.

"Inari? No!" Tsunami cried out.

"I'll kill you!" The beanie-clan Ronin yelled, his hand on his sword.

"Hey, clown-face! Sneak attack!" A voice from behind him yelled.

"Wha-?" The Ronin turned, only to receive a brutal kick to the face, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

"Man, what kind of an idiot falls for that?" Naruto sighed, before walking over to Inari, who was still staring at the man he'd stabbed.

"I-is he…did I kill him?" The boy asked, fighting down a wave of nausea. Naruto paused and kicked the man in the back.

"Aergh…." Waraji let out a groan before falling unconscious again.

"Nope, still alive" Naruto said, before forcefully yanking out the offending implement. Slight trickle of blood dribbled from the modest wound.

"Eh? This wasn't even…hang on a minute" The blonde sucked on his finger for a moment, before crouching down next to the man's shoulder.

"Lets see…" Naruto placed his finger on the man's tattoo and began rubbing, vigorously, before pulling away his finger, revealing a patch of now bare skin.

"I knew it! His tattoo wasn't even real! No wonder he passed out, idiot probably has no pain tolerance." The blonde grinned.

"H-how did you know they were coming?" Inari asked, poking the unconscious man with a stick.

"Eh? Those idiots left this whole trail of dead animals and cut up trees that lead all the way here, I just followed it, but more importantly, I'm sorry for what I said the other day"

"Huh?"

"You're not a coward, what you did just now took a lot of guts, you're a good kid," The blonde said, rubbing the child's head affectionately.

"Th-that is!" Inari stammered

"Forget about that, here" Naruto said, creating a pair of clones.

"These guys will help you tie up those two, but they'll disperse after that. Take these," The blonde said, picking up the Ronins' swords and handing them to the boy.

"What? But these are-"

"Just in case someone else comes, I need you to use these swords to protect you're mom, okay? Just remember, the sharp end's the one you hit them with. If they attacked here, then they probably attacked the bridge, I'd better go in case they need my help" Naruto grinned, before leaping off into the trees.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura could scarcely keep up as the two boys fought, their movements little more than a blur.

"Sugoi…Sasuke-kun's so fast"

A resounding ring rang out as kunai met senbon. A triumphant smirk adorned the Uchiha's face.

"I don't want to have to kill you," Haku said "But you're not going to stand down, are you?"

"Give up? Don't be foolish"

"I see…but you won't be able to keep up with my speed next time, plus I've already gained two advantages"

"Two?"

"First, the ground is covered in water, second, I've already occupied one of your arms. From this point on, you can only run from my attacks." The masked boy said calmly, before forming his free hand into rapid seals.

'_One-handed? I've never seen that before!' _Kakashi thought, wishing he'd had his Sharingan active so he could have learnt them.

"Hiden Jutsu: Sensatsu!" The masked boy stamped his foot on the ground, causing water to splash into the air. The water seemed to hang for a moment, before being formed into a multitude of senbon, all flying towards the Uchiha.

"Sasuke-kun!"

'_Kuso! Remember the training! Concentrate my chakra…to the legs!' _As the needle storm came down upon him, the Uchiha suddenly leapt inhumanly high into the air.

'_He's gone!' _Sensing an attack, the masked boy broke into a series of back-flips, scarcely avoiding a series of shuriken.

"You're pretty slow" The Uchiha's voice came from behind him. "From now on, you'll only be able to run from my attacks" As Sasuke flung a kunai, the masked boy was barley able to duck in time, only to find himself unable to dodge a follow-up kick.

'Unbelievable! Haku lost in speed?' Zabuza's eyes widened as his protégé was sent sliding along the wet bridge.

"I can't have you underestimating my team by calling them 'brats', Zabuza" Kakashi said, smugly. "Sasuke is Konoha's No. one rookie, Sakura is the brightest in the village, "

"_**Hell Yeah!"**_ Inner-Sakura cheered

"And Naruto…he's probably the most unpredictable person on the planet"

"Hehehe, Haku, you realize that at this rate we'll be driven back?" Zabuza chuckled.

"_**Yeah…we can't have that" **_Haku said, his stance and aura shifting.

'What is this…chill?'

Forming a hand seal, the water surrounding the Uchiha rose slowly, before suddenly shifting into perfect, ice mirrors.

"_**Hiden Jutsu: Makyou Hyoushou" **_Once the mirrors had solidified, the masked boy took a step forward, walking right _into _a mirror.

'_What…what is this?' _Sasuke's eyes widened as, where once there was one, suddenly every mirror bore the image of the masked-Nin.

"Kuso!" Kakashi swore as he raced to rescue his student, only to be impeded by Zabuza himself.

"Hey…you're opponent is me. Against that technique, he's finished"

"Well, shall I begin?"

'Wh-what are these mirrors?'

"_**I'll show you my real speed."**_

"Itai!" Sasuke flinched as a cut suddenly appeared on his shoulder.

'What? When? How?' Before he could answer, he suddenly found himself being assaulted from all sides, faster than the eye can see, from no visible source. Blood spattered into the air as his wound count increased.

"Sasuke!"

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Go ahead Kakashi, run past me, I'll just kill those two over there" Zabuza taunted, glancing at the bridge builder and the Kunoichi.

'I have to help Sasuke-kun'

Springing forward, the Kunoichi launched a small volley of kunai at the back of the mirrors, intent on breaking them.

"Too slow" The masked Nin reached out and snatched the kunai out of the air, letting them drop to the ground casually. Moments later, a shuriken flew out from the mist, striking the boy in the side of the head and causing him to fall from his ice.

'_Tch, that show-off' _Sasuke thought, secretly relieved for the backup

'The Unpredictable?'

Zabuza's eye's narrowed as a second volley of shuriken flew out from the mist, already mere meters from his head.

'If I block, or dodge…Kakashi has an opening!'

He was saved from his predicament in the form of senbon, courtesy of Haku.

"Zabuza-sama, focus on Kakashi-san. Allow me to deal with these kids"

"Whatever"

'_These mirrors…Bunshin of some kind? No, it's too fast, I can't even see where they're coming from, and the mirrors must serve some purpose to the attack'_

"Wow…this is cool, hey Sasuke you look like crap" Naruto said, walking in amongst the mirrors nonchalantly.

"Naruto? What the hell? You…Usuratonkatchi, you…gah! I don't even care anymore!"

"Hey, I came to save you and this is what I get?" Naruto demanded, meanwhile the masked-Nin had returned to the safety of his mirrors.

"Save? How?"

"Like this!" Naruto grinned, before clicking his fingers. All at once a small horde of Kage Bunshin stormed out from the mist and launched themselves at the enclosed prison.

'_What? He waited for me to return to my mirrors? But still…' _The ice-Nin leapt from the uppermost mirror straight into the air. As he reached the apex of his leap, the masked boy reached into his clothes and withdrew two fistfuls of senbon. Spinning as he fell, the boy launched needle after needle at the advancing clones, dispersing them mere moments from impact. The clones dealt with, the masked boy fell back down, re-integrating himself into the mirror.

'Crap, he took out my clones in like…three seconds!'

"That won't work Dobe, he's too fast, and too accurate." The Uchiha warned, his mind racing.

'_It's impossible to catch the original…but if I melt his mirrors we'll have an opening to get out!' _Flashing through some seals, the Uchiha drew a deep breath.

"Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" A ferocious stream of fire spewed out from the Uchiha's mouth, impacting against a mirror.

"What was that? It did nothing!" Naruto exclaimed as the mirror revealed itself to be unharmed.

"_**You can't melt my ice with fire that weak"**_ The ice-Nin stated, before launching into another assault upon the pair.

'Where? Where's the real one?' Naruto demanded, trying to look at all the mirrors at once.

"_**Trying to follow me with your eyes is impossible. You will never be able to catch me"**_

"Says you! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

"Don't-" As the clones launched themselves at the mirrors, Haku leapt into action. Leaping from mirror to mirror, he disposed the clones one after another, faster than the eye can see. A second later the entire horde was forcefully dispersed, leaving the original to hit the ground.

"_**This technique uses the mirror's reflection to transport me. From my point of view you're all moving in slow motion" **_Haku stated, causing Kakashi's eyes to widen.

"For him to master a technique like that…he has a Kekkei Genkai, doesn't he?"

"Hehe, bang on the money. Techniques only possible due to ones unique genetic inheritance, not unlike your Sharingan…unique, and impossible to copy.

XXXXX

"Kuso, I can't die here! I mustn't die before I fulfill my dream!" Naruto swore.

"_**Dream…becoming a true Shinobi is difficult for me, if possible I don't want to kill you, nor do I want you to have to kill me. But if you come at me…I can kill my gentle heart and become a true Shinobi. This bridge is the place where we fight…to connect us to our dreams, me for my dream, and you for yours. "**_

'Zabuza-sama…' 'Those boys…that is a fight they can't win…they do not have the capacity to kill another person…not at this time…I must hurry! Lets go Obito!' Reaching up to his hitai-ate, Kakashi revealed his Sharingan.

"Hehe, Sharingan again? Is that the only thing you can do?" Zabuza taunted, before stepping backwards. All around him the mist thickened, disguising his image amongst the white.

"You say that as though you're not afraid of it"

"A Shinobi's supreme technique is not something that should be shown over and over, Kakashi" Zabuza taunted from within the mist.

"You're actually the first person to see it twice, and I can assure you, there won't be a third time."

"I should warn you, even if you beat me, you can't win against Haku…that boy…from child I've trained him in the art of killing, coupled with his Kekkei Genkai, I've got a most useful tool, better than you're scraps of trash"

"You talk too much" Kakashi scolded, drawing a kunai.

XXXXXXXX

"Dammit Sasuke, all we're doing is running around" Naruto complained, pulling himself up off the ground.

"Urusai! We can't hit him; all we can do is try to avoid a serious wound. That technique has to take up a lot of chakra, he'll run out eventually." Sasuke reprimanded.

"Lookout, here he comes!"

XXXXXXXX

Kakashi stood perfectly still in the mist, his eyes darting desperate to catch any sign of movement. The ex-Kiri-Nin had attacked him twice with projectiles so far, and only his last second reflexes prevented him from being wounded.

'_Think, he's a genius at silent killing…where would he strike? Tazuna!' _His eyes widening with fear, the copy-Nin dashed towards their client, appearing just as Zabuza did.

"Too slow!"

XXXXXXXXX

'_This is bad…I have to do something!' _Sasuke thought, desperately. Glancing at Naruto's prone form. The boy was at his limits, and Sasuke knew it. The blonde wouldn't last much longer.

'My eyes…I'm starting to get used to his movements…'

'_I'm aiming for critical areas but he keeps dodging…he can definitely see something'_

'You're body, reflexes…you move well…but this time I'll definitely stop you" 'He's coming! No, calm down. Concentrate, and see through it!'

As the masked boy began his attack, the Uchiha leapt, taking himself and Naruto out of harms way.

'_He saw it! Impossible!' _The masked boy all but gasped as the Uchiha got up, his eyes red and adorned by an uneven number of tomoe.

'It's not much…but I can see it!'

'_The Sharingan! I see…I've drawn this out too much, but still, to awaken it in the midst of battle. I'm low on chakra…I have to finish this!'_

As the masked boy launched his attack, Sasuke's eyes widened.

'For Naruto? Kuso, please make it in time!!'

XXXXX

As Naruto regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was Haku, lying prone on the ground, and Sasuke standing in front of him.

"Sasuke, you-!"

"Tech, all you ever do is get in the way" Sasuke said, his voice somewhat strained. As Naruto's vision cleared, his eyes widened.

"Sasuke, you…" The Uchiha stood, swaying unsteadily before him. An unhealthy number of senbon imbedded into his body, particularly around his neck.

"Heh, what's with that face?"

"Why…why did you save me?"

"I…hated you…"

"Then why? I told you didn't I? Back when we graduated, I'm not someone worth sacrificing over, especially not you're life'

"Don't ask me, my just…moved on its own." Sasuke relented, collapsing into the blonde's arms.

"Th-that man…my brother…I swore to myself I wouldn't die until I killed him…don't die also"

"_**He landed a blow on me and, without flinching, gave his life to save yours. To protect a precious person knowing it was a trap, he still jumped in. He was a Shinobi worthy of respect" **_The ice-Nin said, getting to his feet, his mask now sporting a vertical cut, almost like a scar.

'_Sasuke…'_Naruto felt his eyes tearing up, a small trickle of blood dripped from his eyes onto the pale boy's face.

"_**Is this you're first death of a friend? Such is the life of a Shinobi" **_Haku said, climbing back into his mirror.

"Urusai…"

'Sasuke…I hated you too' **'He killed a pack member…slew a kinsman…' **

"You…for killing Sasuke…**I won't forgive you!" **The blonde let out a guttural snarl, lifting himself up onto all fours, his red, slit eyes wide and blinded with madness. Claws adorned his hands, and feet, and fangs protruded from his gums. He glanced down at the dead boy beneath him before letting out an ear-splitting howl, a single, crimson tail forming from the base of his spine.

"**KILL!"**

'_What…what is this? This chakra…' _The tail lashed against the ground, ripping up gouges from the bridge's surface. The senbon imbedded in the blondes flesh shook, before being forced out by the Youki. The crimson energy swirled around him, when Haku stared into it, he could have sworn he saw a fox-head, grinning viciously.

'_This chakra, such an evil chakra, how can chakra feel like this?' _Staring through the haze, the masked-Nin was shocked to see steam rising from the blonde's wounds, closing up as they did so.

'His wounds are healing? Who…just who is this boy?' As the fox-boy's searching eyes found the ice-Nin, Haku looked, and knew fear.

XXXXXXXXXX

As Kakashi narrowly avoided getting gutted, he suddenly flinched.

'_This feeling…is it Zabuza? No, it's the same as…Naruto!!' _Kakashi's eyes widened as he recognized the familiar feeling, one he hadn't felt for twelve years.

"Zabuza, it seems things have taken a turn for the worse. I'll end this, right here, right now!" The copy-Nin drew a scroll from his vest. Jabbing his thumb into a wound on his chest, he unfurled the scroll, smearing a line of blood along the arcane writing within. Re-furling the scroll, he gripped it between his fingers as he formed a seal.

"Hmph, okay, lets see what you can do

_XXXXXXXXXXX_

Haku could feel his whole body screaming with fear as the berserk blonde barreled towards him, steeling his nerves as best as he could, he drew back a handful of senbon.

'_Here he comes! Such killing intent…it feels like just enduring it is dragging me down to my grave' _As the masked-Nin let fly, the blonde let out a terrible roar, his Youki flaring menacingly, stopping the senbon in their tracks.

'_He stopped it with just his chakra? _The ice-Nin launched an attack from behind, only to have the feral blonde leap, spinning out of the way, leaving the masked boy open and vulnerable.

'_Kuso! I must get to the next mirror' _Haku attempted to fly past the blonde, but Naruto reach out and grabbed him by the wrist, squeezing painfully.

'H-he caught me!'

"**GRAAHAAA!!!" **As the feral boy screamed, the force of his Youki lashed out, fracturing the ice-Nin's mirrors. Grabbing him with both arms, Naruto let out a cry as he hurled the masked-boy through one of his mirrors,

'_This is it…I have failed you, Zabuza-sama. I can not defeat this boy.' _As the remnants of the mirrors shattered around him, the blonde snarled, before tearing down the bridge, intent on delivering the final blow. The ice-Nin stood, shakily, his left arm hanging useless by his side from the Youki. As he ran, the blonde flexed open his hand, drawing back his claws.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ninpou: Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu!" Slamming the scroll into the ground, black lines of text crawled from their paper bindings and into the ground.

'_Hmph, no matter what you do, you don't know where I am, but I know where you are. You're trapped Kakashi" _Zabuza said smugly, only to let out a panicked gasp as two pairs of jaws latched onto his ankles.

"If you can't see, or hear, just follow you're nose." Kakashi said, as a total of eight dogs bit down on the ex-Kiri-Nin's body, holding him in place.

"My dogs followed the scent of my blood on you're blade. Now, you're finished"

'_Hey, Obito, it's time to perform our finishing act' _Forming three quick hand seals, the copy-Nin gripped his wrist with his free hand as lightning spewed out from it. As the pulsing electricity stabilized, he shifted his arm so it was completely rigid, like a spear.

"Zabuza, if you surrender now, I'll let you live"

"Hah, you expect to much"

"So be it, taste the power of my one and only, own original technique. RAIKIRI!!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was a horrific crunch sound as the blonde's arm drove through the ice-Nin's chest, the force of the blow knocking the boy's mask from his face.

"**Ha…Haku?"**

"_**Sumimasen, Naruto-kun"**_

"**Why?"**

"_**Because…Zabuza-sama has no need for a useless tool, my dreams of helping my precious person are dead"**_

"**You…Haku?"**

"_**Arigatou-gozaimasu…"**_The ice-Nin gave a sad smile

"**Haku? Haku? Haku? HAKU!!!" **As the blonde bellowed, a torrential wave of Youki flowed out from him, causing the ground the crack, and buckle beneath his feet, and then just as suddenly it was gone. His anger replaced by pure despair. And the blonde was left standing, blue eyes staring into dead ones. Looking down, he saw that his arm was still imbedded into the androgynous boy's chest.

"AAAAAAAHHH!!!" Screaming, he heaved and pulled, until his arm came free, releasing the boy's lifeblood with it. He let out another scream as the red liquid washed over him, staining his flesh with his deed. Looking down at his hands, he almost threw up when he saw them; claws still out, pieces of fabric, and flesh skewered on the ends

"I-it wasn't supposed to be this way…" Muttering incoherently, the blonde staggered along the bridge, unsure of his destination.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"**HAKU!!!" **As he heard the cry, a horrendous nausea washed over the copy-Nin, brought on by the accompanying Youki. The force of the wave was enough to make him stumble in his path, causing him to miss his intentional target.

"Gwaah!!" The Kirigakure no Kijin vomited up blood as the Raikiri was driven into the side of his stomach.

'What…what just happened?' Kakashi wondered.

"Zabuza…once I pull out my hand, you will die. Be grateful for this opportunity to say some final words." The silver-haired Jounin said, being careful to hold his arm still.

"Keh…it's not over yet…Kakashi…Haku…"

"Haku….**Hakuuuu!" **Both heads turned at the sound, only to see a bloody Naruto, staggering towards them haphazardly.

'_That much blood…it can't be?'_

"Kirigakure **no Kijin**, your **Yuki-Onna…**is dead" The blonde said, almost slurring, his eyes flickering occasionally from blue to red as his mind battled with itself.

"Then…he was a useless tool in the end after all" Zabuza scowled, before coughing up more blood.

"**Urusai!!** It is because you think like that that he's dead…he **thanked** me, because he believed you would not **want him** after he lost to me…"

"N-Naruto?" Sakura asked, her voice quavering at the sight of so much blood and death.

"**Ouka…**not now…**Kijin!** He…, he loved you. He gave you **everything! **Do you feel **NOTHING?!" **

"Stupid boy…I only asked for his blood…his power…nothing else" Zabuza said, his eyes drooping.

"Silly **Kijin, **a youkai's blood **is **it's everything," Naruto said, his voice losing most of its scathing.

"Hey kid…one…last request, I'd…like to say goodbye to Haku…" Zabuza said, his voice losing volume. Naruto nodded grimly before running back down the bridge. By the time he returned, Haku's body in his arms bridal style, Zabuza was already moments from death.

"Haku…you were always by my side…I'm glad to be beside yours at the end…" As the former Kiri-Nin reached out for the ice-Nin's face, he dimly noticed a small collection of snowflakes falling around him.

"Haku…are you crying?"

"His tears are his final gift to you…" Naruto said, his composure somewhat regained.

"…And I to him" Zabuza said, a modest trail of moisture streaming down his face.

"Naruto…"

"Sakura-Chan?"

"Where's Sasuke-kun?" She asked, afraid of the answer. Naruto said nothing, merely lowing his head and pointing down the bridge.

"Y-you mean?" She asked, hesitantly, not waiting for conferment, she ran in the direction he pointed.

"Naruto…" The silver-haired Nin started, his Sharingan re-covered. Before he could continue, he was interrupted by a piercing cry.

"Sasuke-kun!!" The blonde flinched at first, but suddenly frowned. That wasn't a cry of despair…but of relieve. His heart clenched with apprehension…

"Naruto! Sasuke's alive!!"

And he felt his heart tear itself in two.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nobody said a word as the bodies of the two missing Nin burned upon the pyre. A final show of respect.

'At least this way, there won't be any hunter-Nin's desecrating their corpses' Naruto thought, solemnly. Unconsciously he patted the side of his stomach, where two new seals lay hidden beneath his skin, one for Haku's mask and one for Zabuza's Zanbatou. Although Naruto had all but demanded he be given the mask, it was Kakashi's idea for him to take the sword.

XXXXXXXX

_Flashback_

_Naruto stood perfectly still as Kakashi drew the markings across the boy's side, cumulating around a central point. The basic design of the seal was Naruto's, although his sensei had modified it slightly to accompany the objects larger size._

"_Kakashi-sensei, shouldn't you get this? You beat him after all," The blonde asked, resisting the urge to squirm at the cold touch._

"_Well, in the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu, a members sword is passed on to either its wielder's apprentice, or the person who defeats him, besides if we just leave it there then some thief will probably come along and steal it"_

"_But _you_ beat him" Naruto insisted._

"_That may be, but you beat his apprentice, who would have had a claim to the sword in the first place." As the blonde stiffened, Kakashi cursed his impudence. The blonde seemed to be having issues over his first kill, which was usual amongst Shinobi…in leaf anyway. _

"_Besides, I'm already trained in the use of a Tanto, and I don't have the time to learn a new style" The Jounin said, quickly shifting the subject._

"…_I guess"_

"_Even if you don't learn how to wield it, although I admit doing so might have to wait until you're a bit taller, you can still give it to someone else."_

"_Fine…Hey! I'm not short"._

"_And you never now when you might need an enormous hunk of steel"_

"_I said okay"_

"_There, all done. This may hurt a bit, but I'm sure you're used to it by now."_

"_Yeah, yeah. After a while you just feel a mild burning sensation"_

"_By the way, I checked in an old bingo book I happened to have on me, apparently the sword's name is Keiri"_

"_Huh…I…AH!"_

_End Flashback_

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Of course, neither of his teammates new of his acquisitions. He didn't want them questioning his motives. Sakura was already somewhat fearful of him, most likely due to the knowledge that he'd killed, plus how he'd acted immediately after. It would only further the gap between them if she found out that immediately after making his first kill; he'd taken to lugging around an enormous implement of death. And Sasuke…, Sasuke had been giving him weird looks also, the blonde wasn't sure but he had a suspicion the Uchiha was actually jealous over his 'victory' over the ice-Nin, the last thing he needed to do was to start showing off 'trophies'. He actually seemed surprised that the blonde hadn't bragged over his victory, of course in the Naruto's opinion there was nothing to brag about. He'd killed the boy out of revenge, and revenge alone. When he discovered that the Uchiha hadn't even died, it just made him feel all the more empty inside; Haku had died for no reason other than Naruto himself. He'd done nothing wrong in the end, but that didn't bring him back to life.

As the last of the embers smoldered, Naruto muttered a small prayer, asking that the smoke from the pyres carry the Nins' souls to the afterlife. He didn't dare ask for forgiveness, he knew that Haku's death was something that he would have to carry for all eternity. Rising from his knees, the blonde turned to his team, and the group made their way back to town.

Emotions where mixed within the town; some believed that, now that the big-bad ninja had been defeated, Gatou would be too scared to do anything. However, other's believed that, with the bridge so close to completion, that Gatou would get desperate; hire more, stronger ninja, or worse just have his thugs massacre the whole populace out of spite, or something equally drastic.

"If only Gatou were gone, then all Nami's problems would go away with him. Naruto knew that wasn't true, but it's what many of Nami's people believed, and as long as they believed that, they also believed that Nami's problems would never go away so long as Gatou were still around, so they did nothing.

"Good news guys, at the current rate we're going, the bridge should be finished by tomorrow. Tazuna grinned, triumphantly.

"Alright! First thing I'm gonna do when I get home is have a big, steaming bowl if Ichiraku Ramen" Naruto grinned, although if you looked carefully you'd see that his smile didn't reach his eyes.

'_I suppose he just has to deal with it in his own why' _Kakashi sighed. _'I just hope he doesn't do something drastic' _

"Eager to get home? Perhaps you've got a sweet girl waiting for you" Tsunami said teasingly. As she said that, the blondes mind immediately flashed to a certain Hyuuga heiress, coupled with the actions partaken with said Hyuuga prior to the mission. A slight blush found its way to his cheeks.

'_Hinata…I'd forgotten the whole thing since the mission started, I still have to square things off with her…' _He thought, however, his thoughts quickly took a darker turn.

'_What will she say if she finds out about what I did? I killed a practically innocent boy! I-if she finds out about that! S-she'll hate me, just like everyone else!'_

'_**You're a demon, you're a Shinobi, both of these kill, although the latter are paid to do so. The former simply enjoys it. Who is a killer to complain about another killer? And is it not said one should enjoy ones work?' **_His Oni-Zenshi argued.

'…_You say I enjoyed it as though it where a good thing'_

'_**Yet you do not deny that you did, it is in you're blood. You regretted killing the boy, but while he was a faceless enemy you relished the sensation of tearing his life away from him, right up until the Uchiha came back to life'**_

'_Just…shut up, just shut up!' _

"Naruto-kun? Are you okay?" Tsunami asked, concern on her face.

"Huh? Oh, err, yeah, I'm fine" He said, offering an unconvincing grin.

"It's just you zoned out and went all pale, I'm sorry if I said something to offend you,"

"Eh? No, no, no, no. I was just thinking about something, actually…there is this girl…and…well, there was this 'thing' that happened before the mission.

"You? A girl? What mad, raving, mentally unbalanced female did you trick into doing anything with you?" Sakura demanded.

"Hey, don't be like that. We just had lunch and kinda…hit it off"

"You!.…Wait…' She paused, the whole conversation sounding awfully familiar.

"Huh?"

"What you said before…you're talking about Hinata-san, aren't you? What did you do to the poor girl? What 'thing'?" The Kunoichi demanded, making preliminary preparations to crack her knuckles.

"Wah! It wasn't anything like that! It was just…well not 'this and that', umm…'this and something else'?" He offered, pleadingly.

"Uzumaki Naruto, if I find out you've been taking advantage of innocent girls, I assure you there won't be anything for you to take advantage with!" The girl threatened, engaging in knuckle crack no. 4; anti-pervert whoop-ass.

'_Maybe things will get back to normal a bit easier than I expected' _Kakashi smiled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The blonde tossed and turned in his sleep, sweat dripping off his brow, his knuckles clenching and unclenching systematically.

"_Naruto…why?" Haku begged, his eyes pleading as the blonde tore out his heart, grinning maniacally all the while. Suddenly, their roles where reversed; Haku's arm penetrating Naruto's chest._

"_You killed me, now you will pay!" The blonde let out a scream as he felt his flesh being frozen from within, his torso shattering beneath his own weight. Then it changed; it was Hinata he was killing._

"_N-Naruto-kun! Y-you killed him, h-he was you're friend and you k-killed him. W-What's to say you w-won't k-kill me t-to?"_

_Change; he was Zabuza's tool, getting defeated by some no-name Genin._

_Change; he was Zabuza; lighting piercing his body, learning that the closest thing to a loved one he'd ever had just got killed over misinformation._

_Change; he was Sasuke, watching as the person who was said to be the weakest in the village defeat people he was unable to, if he could and he's the weakest, what does that make me?_

_Change; he dies_

_Change; he kills someone_

_Change; he's killed for it_

_Change; he's forgotten_

_Change; he's remembered as a monster_

_Change; he dies alone_

_Change; he never dies, trapped forever in a seal, seeing nothing, experiencing nothing_

_Change_

_Change_

_Change_

_Change_

_Change_

"AAAAAAAAAH!!" He shot up in his bed, his clothes completely drenched. Looking out the window, he saw that it was a full moon.

'_I see…I'm oversensitive tonight…I…I can't just leave things…I have to do something!' _Slipping out of bed, silently, he opened the window.

"Naruto-nii-san?" Silently cursing, the blonde turned to face the newcomer.

"Hey Inari" The blonde said, pretending to yawn in an effort to hide what he had been doing.

"Um…I heard a scream, I thought you might have been attacked." The kid said, glancing at the pair of Katana that hung disproportionate to his body-size. The same weapons that at one point had been moments away from ending his life.

"Nah, I just fell out of bed, that's all." The orange-clad Genin offered, sheepishly.

"…what are you really doing?" The boy asked.

"I'm…taking care of something…it'd be best if I did it before I go, otherwise either someone else will have to do it, or no-one else does it and things get worse"

"…Will you be okay?" The child asked, somewhat hesitantly. He wasn't sure what the blonde meant, but he knew from the sound of his voice that the usually energetic ninja was somewhat apprehensive about it.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, I got some friends who'll help me" Naruto assured the kit, patting his pockets for emphasis.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_There was an eerie silence in Gatou's mansion. The guards stationed there were weary, and unmindful. Deep within the building, Gatou himself was planning his final move. Unseen, a red fox darted beneath the night sky, briefly illuminated by the full moon. Pausing beneath a window, a disembodied voice emanated from the creature._

"_**Kitsunepou: Tsukinijuushin no Jutsu" **__As the fox slowly faded from existence, overhead a large, blood red moon appeared, immediately next to the real one, casting an eerie red glow over the entire area. However, despite the anomaly, none of the guards seemed to notice the bizarre apparition._

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"So you can help me then?" Gatou asked.

"_To do as you ask will be no problem to those with skills such as us"_

"**But our skills do not come cheap, are you sure you can afford us?" Although** the two voices came from the same person, the way each voice spoke was anything but alike; one was calm, polite and business-like, while the other was scathing, aggressive, and borderline sadistic at times.

"I assure you gentlemen, money is never an issue when dealing with one such as I" The shipping magnate replied smugly.

"_Then it will be-" _The first voice was cut off, as a piercing scream echoed throughout the building, followed by another, and another.

"_It seems you have other guests"_

"**We will return later, to discuss our payment" **The voices said, before sinking into the ground.

"Tch, those cloaked bastards…now what the hell is going on in here?" The short man demanded, the silence broken only by another scream, followed by an audible thump.

'_I-is it just me or are they getting closer?' _The man sweated nervously, before edging away from the door. Clicking his fingers, his two guards emerged from the shadows, standing either side of him.

"You pair, go out there and find out what's going on. And don't come back until you do!" The man ordered, pointing towards the doorway.

"Hehehe, now why would we do that?" A gruff voice asked.

"Because I'm paying you, you buffoon!" Gatou ordered, angrily.

"But we never got paid…" A calmer, gentler voice said. Just then, something clicked in his mind. Turning around, he let out a scream as he found himself face-to-face with Momochi Zabuza, and his protégé, Haku.

"W-W-W-what's going on? T-t-they said you where dead!" The shipping magnate stuttered, falling backwards in his attempt to escape.

"Oh? Did we die Haku?" Zabuza asked nonchalantly.

"Hai, it was most painful" Haku assured.

"Say…didn't our contract say something about health insurance?" The Kirigakure no Kijin asked

"Hai, the stipulation was, as you said 'we get hurt, you're paying for it'."

"Yeah, that's right…so whaddaya say Gatou? You ready to pay?" The ex-mist-Nin asked, drawing Keiri.

"I-I-I'll pay! I'll pay you whatever you want!" The stout man spluttered, throwing coins on the ground before him.

"Money? What good's money to the dead? I'll see to it that you pay in our own, special way" The swordsman grinned, an evil glint in his eye.

"N-n-n-n-nooooooo!!!" Gatou struggled to flee, only to find himself held in place by shackles of ice.

"It's payback time!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"

As the man was cleaved in half, the scenery suddenly shifted, an otherworldly red glow shining in through the windows, revealing a pair of Naruto clones, one holding Keiri, the other wearing Haku's mask.

"Now you see, _that's_ the kind of guy I enjoy killing." The Zanbatou wielding Naruto said.

"Yeah, what an asshole. Hey, what should we do with all the guy's money? He's meant to be rich or something, isn't he?" The mask wearing Naruto asked.

"Hey yeah! Tell you what, lets search around for the any hidden vaults and stuff, nab any shinnies, and leave the rest for thieves who received a 'hot tip', or something.

"Sounds like a plan, we'll let the moon clean up the rest of the goons around here."

"Hey, who do you think he was talking to before?"

"I dunno, sounded like another missing-Nin"

"Yeah, well, his work-load just got _cut_"

"…That was lame"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was a big farewell as Team Seven left, later the next day, not only because the bridge had been finished, and it was technically the grand opening, but also because word had got out that Gatou had been assassinated. Exactly who did it was unknown, but the rumor was it had been Team Seven. Not that anyone actually congratulated them or anything; there were some things you didn't say to someone's face.

"So long guys! We'll come and visit you sometime!" Naruto called out.

"Don't be a stranger!"

"Come back soon!"

"You're welcome here, anytime"

"I have a daughter! She's of eligible age and has a _great _personality…"

Even the ever-stoic Uchiha had a small grin on his face. Although Naruto suspected that had something to do with how the dark-haired boy seemed to keep finding excuses to go to the bathroom. Upon investigation, Naruto discovered that the rookie o the year was actually staring at himself in the mirror during these 'bathroom-breaks'. Activating his Sharingan every few seconds and laughing maniacally.

'_Meh, everybody unto themselves I guess' _

As the team faded away from view, one of the construction workers turned to Tazuna.

"Hey, Tazuna-san. We still haven't thought up a name for the bridge yet"

"How about, the Super Ultimate Bridge of Wonder" a middle-aged man offered.

Tazuna paused and thought about the bridge, the people who'd made it happen, the sacrifices they'd made…he thought of his grandson; no-longer a pitiful cry-baby, no a hard worker with a zest for life, and an unfortunate zeal for bladed instruments. He thought of the person rumored as being the one to dispatch Gatou, according to said grandson, a certain blonde-haired unpredictable ninja with whiskers.

"Lets call it, The Great Naruto Bridge," He said, in a voice that allowed no room for questioning.

"Yeah…it has a nice ring to it"

"It's a name destined for greatness"

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Ronin-a rogue samurai, more or less a mercenary

Sugoi-awesome

Hiden Jutsu: Sensatsu- Secret Art: Flying Ice Needles

Hiden Jutsu: Makyou Hyoushou-Secret Art: Demonic Ice Mirrors

Kekkei Genkai- is translated as 'advanced bloodline' or 'bloodline limit'. On a side note; Kekkai Genkai means 'Limit Break' if I spelled it wrong.

Ninpou: Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu- Ninja Art: Summoning (although I've seen it translated as 'spiritualism'. Also, Kuchi-Yose means roughly 'the opening to the last moves') Earth: Art of the Seeking Fang

Raikiri-lighting blade

Ouka-another name for cherry blossoms

Youkai-spiritual being; Kitsune, Yuki-Onna, Kijin, and Kappa are all examples of Youkai

Keiri-Executioner, apparently Suigetsu said this was the name of Zabuza's sword, although I haven't actually checked for verification, I'm going with it anyway.

Kitsunepou: Tsukinijuushin no Jutsu- Fox Art: Art of the Moon Doppelganger. A technique of my creation; the user is changed into a second moon in the sky, and s/he can control everything seen/felt/heard etc by someone that's bathed in the light of the second moon. Works by making chakra constructs not unlike Kage Bunshin to do the physical stuff, although not limited to people. Most people don't realize they're caught in it provided the user conceals the tell-tale red light, and second moon from the victims' perception. Can only be performed at night, is most effective on night of the full moon.

A/N: Few, that's the wave arc done, in like three chapters too!

So, how do you like the way I spiced things up?

Btw, that _was _Zetsu Gatou was talking to, he was intending on hiring Akatsuki to kill off Team Seven…

Naruto's technique: Hooray, I finally get to reveal one of Naruto's Kitsunepou! The inspiration for this technique came from two things from Japanese folklore about Kitsune; first was that they where said to be able to make illusions that where indistinguishable from reality (Kage Bunshin anyone?) The second was something a little odder, in that, Kitsune were said to be known to change there shape into fantastical objects, like a giant tree, or a second moon. As I could see no purpose to being a second moon other than surveillance, and possibly transport I tweaked them together to get what's probably my favorite of the Kitsunepou I intend to use.

Naruto, and Death; If you're wondering why Naruto got so hung up over killing Haku, and not Gatou, it's because, as far as Naruto is concerned, Haku died for no reason, therefore he killed him for no sufficient reason, and Haku was someone who he A) saw as a friend, and B) didn't deserve to die. Gatou on the other hand A) was an asshole, B) deserved to die, and c) many benefited from his death. Basically it gets down to weather the person's death was wasteful or not, compared to whether their life was wasteful or not.

Naruto and his spoils; the stuff Naruto collects from his enemies will appear infrequently, he won't integrate them into his day-to-day fighting style, but instead use them when he needs them. This aspect of him also stems from folklore, in which Kitsune where said to horde treasure and rare artifacts, sometimes giving them away as bribes, payment, gifts or rewards. I though it would be worth showing a budding young Kitsune amassing his collection.

I think that's just about everything,

Next time: More NaruHina, and the beginnings of the Chuunin exam. Deviations from canon will increase proportionate to time passing. I'll put it like this, by the end of the 'rescue Gaara' arc; just about nothing will be the same, so I apologize for the amount of canonical stuff happening now as I simply have nothing to change it to, that's worth the change.

If you feel I'm leaving something out, or should add something, feel free to review and/or PM. Comments are appreciated.

Oh and, no offence, but a review stating in its entirety 'nice' isn't exactly encouraging. I feel if you take the time to press the 'review button' you might as well type more than five letters. And 'update soon' won't make me do so. Spare you're finger the wasted energy and type something useful.

p.s. I'll state it again, just in case anybody gets the wrong idea 'No serious NaruSasu! Naruto may be bi, but he sees Sasuke as a friend/brother/bastard. Sasuke is straight.


	19. Home, again

Chapter 19

Home, again.

_The fox tries to hide itself, but the scarecrow soon finds it. Running all about the place, the fox stumbles across the sunny place again, much to the hound's displeasure. _

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Kakashi silently observed his genin as they journeyed back. It was no secret that the mission had been a turning point for the young genin, being their first taste of the real world. That things don't always go as you wanted, that one way or another death is a part of a ninja's responsibility, that sometimes not even the Hokage knew just what he was signing his men up for.

The effects where subtle, but nonetheless present. It was a feat of little skill to predict what was changing in his squad. During much of the mission, Sakura had done little of the work, solely for the reason that he was nowhere near capable of performing at the level of her two teammates. She had little choice but to acknowledge book smarts just wouldn't cut it on the battlefield. What she did have, however, was a penchant for learning, and chakra control the likes of which Kakashi had never seen before on a genin, let alone a rookie. There was also how she was reacting to Naruto; he could see the fear in her eyes every time her gaze settled on him. It usually vanished once he did something stupid, or amusing, but it had been there. Kakashi could plainly see one of three things occurring with his young Kunoichi, she would either abandon the career of a shinobi, either out of fear or self-doubt. She could give-up on the inside; just hiding behind her teammates assuming her Uchiha prince will be there to save her, or there was the preferable outcome; the one where she admits her weakness and works to eliminate it. She had access to innumerable Jutsu through her sensei and he was all-too ready to share it with her, but it had to be her decision. If the copy-Nin tried to force it on her then she would simply view training as a detrimental chore to be slacked off at.

The Uchiha was a different matter; the battle on the bridge had awakened several things in the raven-haired youth. The boy was ecstatic over having awakened his Sharingan, in a sense completing him in the boy's eyes, proving his place as an Uchiha. However, it had not been the last Uchiha that defeated their tragic foe, instead that feat had been accomplished by his childish teammate, something that irked the Uchiha to no end. It was something Kakashi had seen all to often with Uchiha Obito, his former teammate. Kakashi had been head-and-shoulders above the boy and it had driven his teammate up the wall, on rare occasions even resulting in frenzied, violent outbursts. Kakashi had met the boy's parents and could tell it had nothing to do with clan conditioning, there had been no pressure on Obito to be great, no grand expectations, it just seemed to be ingrained into his blood. An insult could not be let go; a challenge could not be turned down. There was just something in the Uchiha gene that drew out fanaticism, and cumulated emotion. If the Hyuuga were Konoha's most stoic clan then the Uchiha were the most temperamental.

As it was, the Uchiha both envied, and detested the Blonde for stealing what he had seen as 'his kill'. Although Kakashi believed that if anyone had the right to kill the ice-Nin it had been the revenge seeking Naruto, he did find it odd how the Uchiha's behavior somewhat reflected the blonde's own, earlier in the mission, when he expressed his outrage at Zabuza's 'death' having been snatched away from the silver-haired Jounin. Still, now possessing both arrogance at his Sharingan, and insecurities at being bested by the blonde, Kakashi could see no path before the Uchiha but to strive to surpass his animalistic teammate, and reassert his dominance.

Naruto on the other hand, was something of the opposite. The blonde's guilt over killing the ice-Nin had been eating away at the genin ever since, Kakashi knew that the boy was experiencing night terrors, having awoken to his screams more than once since the battle on the bridge. Yet the boy adamantly refuted any attempts at counseling the silver-haired jounin offered. It seemed the boy _wanted _to be eaten away by the guilt, out of some twisted desire for atonement. Kakashi was just grateful that the blonde hadn't delved into self-mutilation or other such self-destructive acts…_yet. _Still, the boy seemed to have made some recovery by the time it came to return home, although Kakashi couldn't help but feel slightly troubled by the means the blonde may have implemented in relieving his stress. He had heard the reports about Gatou's demise, cleaved in half by some sort of blade, many of his guards where either badly traumatized or brutally savaged as though by some kind of animal. They always said that, after the first kill, the second doesn't seem half as bad, and Naruto was showing some disturbing signs that hinted towards a developing sociopath. On the other hand, Nami would surely flourish now that it was completely free of Gatou's influence, and the man was certainly no saint to begin with. There was also the possibility that Naruto somehow blamed the man for Haku's death, having been the one to hire the ninja in the first place. But the fact remained that Naruto had killed, and felt better because of it. An association that could spell disaster for anyone, especially a shinobi. What would happen if one of his teammates where to be killed? Would their client pay for their life? Would the Hokage? There was the fact that, one way or another; some part of the Kyuubi had emerged during the fight with the ice-Nin. How could Kakashi know if it was even Naruto anymore? True he still acted like himself, although his antics and arguments seemed more exaggerated of late, as though he where trying to prove he was Naruto.

'_Then again, that could be the case, his teammates are aware of his kill, he may well be trying to prove to them that he isn't the savage murderer they imagine him to be' _There was no denying the brutality of the ice-Nin's demise, the wound baring a disturbing resemblance to those created by his own Chidori. However Haku's had been much less clean, while performing clean-up Kakashi had found several chunks of meat, and bone around the scene of the fight. There had been next to no cutting, the penetration had been caused almost entirely by sheer force of impact, destroying bones and organs, before coming out the other side. To accomplish such a thing with your bare hand…was humanly impossible. He had some vague idea what had occurred, but needed verification.

"Okay guys, we'll stop here for a break. Sakura, you set up a perimeter. Sasuke, you look for water, but don't stray too far"

"Naruto, I need to speak to you for a moment" Kakashi said, Almost gingerly, the blonde wandered over to his sensei. Without a word the Jounin led the Naruto away from the others, out of earshot.

"Um…what is it Kakashi-sensei?" No doubt the blonde suspected the one-eyed Nin, fearing some judgmental outcome from his actions in Nami…which ones he was being judged on the blonde couldn't decide.

"I need you to tell me what happened on the bridge." The blonde gulped, but the serious look in his sensei's eye left no room for argument.

"I…I see."

"Start from the beginning, when you arrived" Kakashi's voice was stern, but sympathetic,

'_I need you to trust me, if there's a problem I need to know'_

"Well, Sasuke-Teme was trapped by those ice mirrors…" Naruto recounted the battle calmly and succinctly, going over every detail he remembered, until he reached Sasuke's 'demise'.

"I…I thought for sure he was dead, e-even Haku…said that he'd killed him. I just…I was…just so angry, like as long as Haku died nothing else mattered, even if I died as long as Sasuke was avenged…I…I just stopped caring about anything else, about 'keeping up appearances'…I let it all out, I…I released my tail…under broad daylight I let out my tail"

"You're…tail?" Kakashi's confusion was met with widened eyes.

"Y-you don't…Ojii-san never told you? About _me_?" As the blonde's hand rested upon his navel, the one-eyed Nin instantly got the relevance.

"The only thing Hokage-sama told me about you're _tenant_ is that you tend to get _'a bit excited by the full moon'_."

Naruto snorted. "Typical Ojii-san, tells you the least important thing" He scowled.

"Naruto…" Kakashi said, placing his hands on the blonde's shoulders. "You can trust me, I look out for my comrades, and you are definitely included amongst them"

The blonde tensed for a moment before slumping in resignation.

"I guess I can tell you…you already know of his presence anyway…" Naruto sighed before gathering himself up. "I…am Uzumaki Naruto, given some time…I will be the Kyuubi no Youko" As he said this Kakashi's eyed widened in fear.

"You mean…he's taking over?"

"Nononono, you misunderstand. Kyuubi no Youko is just a title, just like 'Hokage', what I mean is that I am the one to assume his position."

"I…see…so you're absorbing the fox's power"

"Wrong again. Technically, Tsuku-sama has no actual 'power' left to give me. His power was drained during the sealing and used to make me what I am today"

"Tsuku-sama? I assume that is the fox's name"

"Hai, Kuroi_ Tsuku_ is the current bearer of the title _Kyuubi no Youko_."

'_-Sama? He seems to hold the fox in high regard, he doesn't even call the Sandaime –Sama'_

"And just what _are _you today, as you said?"

"From the moment Tsuku-sama was sealed within me, from that moment forward, and that moment back, I have been a Youko. But don't get me wrong I'm still human. I'm just…both"

"I think I understand…can you show me?" The one-eyed Nin asked, eliciting a scowl from his blonde student.

"Here? Now? With my teammates so close?" He demanded.

"I assure you, neither of you're teammates are anywhere near the vicinity, even if they where I've concealed us with a strong genjutsu. They can neither see nor hear us".

"Geh…I should warn you, I can only reveal so much" Naruto muttered, before forming a hand seal.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu". As a single cone appeared by Naruto's side, his sensei couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Before he could comment further, however, there was a second puff of smoke, and where the clone once was, an adult fox now took its place, it's red coat gleaming in the sunlight, a Konoha hitai-ate tied around it's head.

"That is…"

"No hand seals, no technique, trust me, that's a genuine fox." Somewhat skeptical, Kakashi glanced at the blonde.

"But like you want to see that? I'm sure _this _is what you want to see" Naruto said, his tail flicking around behind him.

'_Wait? Tail?'_ Indeed, true to Kakashi's eye, the blonde had sprouted a bright red, and glowing tail.

"That is-!"

"This is how I really look," Naruto said, his voice developing a subtle growl.

'_Dexterous tail…enlarged markings, fangs, claws, judging by the twitching of his nose he has increased sense of smell…I'd imagine hearing as well'_

"Then this is what you meant my letting you're tail out?"

"Yeah," The blonde said, his fox-features retreating. "Normally I hide it, I'm sure you don't need to imagine why…but against Haku…It just wasn't important"

"So you lost control then"

"Nah, nothing like that. It's more like when you're drunk…well, angry and drunk, 'punch-drunk' I think they call it. I mean, it was still me, I was just, nothing else mattered."

"Have you ever…gone rampant…like that before?"

"Not really, I mean, normally when I let my tail out I just feel more…playful, but…I've never actually let my tail out when angry before…well…no, no, never. I mean, I wanted to kill him…so I did…"

"I think I understand," Kakashi sighed.

'He quite literally gets drunk off his own power…'

"I just…it felt so _right_ I…I was happy…happy that I'd avenged Sasuke's 'death'…. but then…then his mask fell off…and…and I realized…I…I'd met him before…he was nice, he…he just wanted to serve his 'precious person'…I thought of him as my friend…for me to kill him like that…"

'_So that's what's bothering him…he thinks himself a traitor…'_

"Naruto…Naruto!" The Jounin snapped, the sudden noise bringing the blonde out of his stupor.

"Huh? Oh…it happened again…" Naruto sighed melancholically.

"You've been experiencing these 'guilt trips' often?"

"…Yeah…I just…he didn't deserve to die…" The blonde stared at his feet as though they suddenly became interesting.

"Naruto, tell me, what do you suppose would have happened had you not defeated Haku?" Kakashi asked suddenly.

"Huh? Well…he'd have probably done to me what he did to Sasuke…then…he probably would have attacked you…then Zabuza would have been free…to go after…Tazuna!" Naruto gasped, realization dawning.

"Yes, and Zabuza wouldn't have been as soft as his apprentice. He probably would have killed all of us just for bragging rights, the people of Nami would have lost hope, and Gatou's reign would have gone on forever. It was because of you're actions that we were able to protect Tazuna-san's safety."

"You really mean that?"

"Yes, as a Shinobi you will kill. You will kill not because you want to, but because you have to. You are the blade of Konoha, and enforce the will of the Hokage, and the Daimyo. For that is Nindo"

"…That's stupid"

"…"

"You're trying to say Ojii-san wanted me to kill him? Did I kill him because Konoha wanted me to? I killed not for the sake of the mission, but for the sake of my friends! I am not Konoha's 'blade'. I am a soldier. I serve the Hokage of my own free will. I do what has to be done for the sake of the people I care about, and I will live life with no regrets, for that is _my _Nindo!" The blonde stared Kakashi in the eye, expecting to be reprimanded for his insurrection.

"Well…I guess this means you're growing up" The one-eyed Nin smiled, patting him on the head. "Although I think Sasuke's waiting with that water.

"Eh? But shouldn't we get going? Konoha's only fifteen minutes away."

"Yup"

"…You enjoy being late, don't you sensei?"

"Hmm? Did you say something? Oh and Naruto"

"Yeah?"

"You shouldn't hide yourself too much, you're better off doing all that you can and helping them than holding back and failing them. You might be surprised at how understanding they could be"

"…"

'_I'll just have to trust him on Gatou…for now'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Lets see, once we get back, I'm gonna eat at Ichiraku! Wait, no, I gotta say hi to Iruka-sensei!, no, wait, I gotta sort things out about the moon-dance, aergh, I can't decide!" Naruto exclaimed rapidly, pulling at his hair in frustration.

"Do you have any idea what he's going on about?" Sakura sweat-dropped

"Hmm? I think he's a bit indecisive" Kakashi hummed, flicking over the page in his book.

'_Oh, so the _bartender_ was the undercover duchess…then the tattoo-!' _Ignoring his sensei's perverted giggling, the blonde formed a familiar hand seal.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! The only way to do five things at once" Naruto nodded, before shouting directions to his clones.

"You, mission debriefing. You! Go find Iruka-sensei. You! Hokage monument. You! Go look for Hinata! And I'm off to Ichiraku!" He let out a hearty laugh, before darting off through the gates with his troupe of look-alikes, splitting up as soon as they passed the guards.

"…What?"

"Why am I stuck with de-briefing?" The Naruto left behind whined.

"…That idiot, I swear it's like he lives in his own little world half the time"

"Hn" Sasuke responded using the traditional Uchiha reply.

"Well, either way we have to report to Hokage-sama, so we should get going" Kakashi said cheerfully, letting off another perverted giggle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Heya, Tou-san" Naruto said, sitting himself down upon the stone head of the Yondaime.

"I just got back from my first c-rank mission…it was hard, but for the most part it was exciting…"

…

"Sasuke-Teme almost died…I thought he was dead…I never thought I'd get so angry if the bastard kicked it…he all but sacrificed his life for me…I was…surprised…I…I never expected anyone to willingly sacrifice themselves for me…then again, Iruka-sensei did…I wonder just what I am to the bastard…he'd better not be _interested_ coz he is definitely not my type!" Naruto scowled, but it soon faded into a relaxed smile.

"…The wind's nice up here…hey Tou-san…what was you're first kill like?" The blonde asked, an odd expression on his face. "I wonder…did you mean to make you're first kill? Was it who you wanted to kill? Was it because you wanted to, or because you had to?"

"…"

"This wind…you feel like you could just…fly away…" Naruto said, standing up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey Oji-san" Naruto said cheerfully, as he stepped under the overhanging banner.

"Hey, if it isn't my best customer. Haven't seen you for a while, long mission?" Teuchi asked, wiping his hands down with a cloth.

"Something like that…can I get a miso ramen with extra egg?"

"Coming right up" Teuchi smiled, making his way over to the stove.

"So, Naruto, was you're mission exciting?" Ayame asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

"Yeah, it was amazing-ttebayo. I got to see and experience lots of new things. It's really cool how all the countries are different!" The blonde exclaimed, eyeing Teuchi's wok like a hawk.

"Sugoi…it seems like I never get to go anywhere" The ramen-girl pouted, resting her elbows on the bench.

"No! If Ayame-Nee-Chan goes, then my ramen will only be half as good!"

"What? Are you saying I'm incapable of creating good ramen on my own?" Teuchi snarled, brandishing a wooden spoon menacingly.

"Nonononono! What I meant was that Ayame-Nee-Chan's feminine touch makes your wonderful ramen even better!"

"Humph…I'll show you a feminine touch," The aged chef challenged.

"No really…I'd rather you didn't" Naruto blanched, holding up his hands as though to stop an incoming train.

"Tch, here's your ramen you ungrateful Gaki" Teuchi huffed, dumping the ramen bowl unceremoniously in front of the blonde.

"Tou-san, don't be like that. You know he didn't mean anything by it" Ayame chided.

"Ha…_Praise be to Inari-Daimyojin, harbinger of plenty, patron of the fields, I present to you this modest offering in appreciation for the food I am about to receive, may my step ne'er falter 'neath your guiding hand_" Naruto hummed soothingly as he procured a small bottle of sake, and presented it to the Kitsune shrine.

"Itadakimasu!!" He exclaimed loudly, before all but diving into his noodles.

"Hey, Isn't that that Hyuuga girl you were here with before?" Teuchi asked, pointing behind the blonde-Genin.

"Pfffffft, Hinata-Chan!?" The fox-boy sprayed broth over the counter as he almost jumped in panicked confusion.

"Ah! Don't worry, I'll clean that up" Ayame fussed, quickly wiping up the mess with a cloth.

'_Crap, one of the clones was meant to meet up with her! I haven't even thought about what I'm going to say! 'Hey, the other night was fun, and I kinda-sorta-like you so lets go further next time!?'_

'_**You shouldn't waste food like that, you insult Inari-sama'**_

"N-N-Naruto-kun?" Feeling as though the legions of hell themselves where waiting in line for him, Naruto slowly turned around. Behind him indeed stood Hyuuga Hinata, her team just behind her. Obviously they were either going to, or returning from a mission, or training.

'_Keep calm, act cool. Nervousness betrays indecisiveness and insecurity, casting doubt over the speaker's confidence and by extend his capabilities'_

"Ah, hey Hinata-Chan, I haven't seen you for weeks, not since…" The blonde trailed off as mental images of their last encounter flashed simultaneously behind both their eyes.

"A-A-Ano…I-it has…been a while…Naruto-kun" The Hyuuga heiress stuttered.

"Ehehe, yeah, I've been on a mission. Sorry, Otherwise I would have spoken too you sooner"

"Ah…that explains it"

"Hey, I'm just having brunch right now, d'you wanna join me?"

"H-Hai, I'd lo-like to, demo…" She turned hesitantly to glance at her red-eyed sensei.

"It's ok Hinata, you can catch up to us later" Kurenai said, winking at the shy girl.

"A-a-ah…that is, Sumimasen, Kurenai-sensei"

As Hinata sat down on a stool, Yuuhi Kurenai led the remaining members of Team Eight away. Neither Naruto nor Hinata noticed the way Inuzuka Kiba was clenching his fists.

'_Why that no good, rotten, backwards-retard, son of a fox. I've lost count of the amount of times I've asked her out and I always get the 'polite decline', he just waltzes in out of no-where, and she agrees to go to lunch with him_. _What's he got that I don't got?'_

"So, have things been without me?" Naruto asked, before resuming his heartless massacre of the noodle-hidden-in-broth.

"Ano…I-it's been…quiet…"

"Well that just won't do, by the way what ramen do you want?"

"A-Ano…I t-think I'll have c-chicken today"

"Alright, Hey Oji-san, get us a bowl of chicken, and start preparing another bowl of Miso, only one egg this time!"

"S-So…How was N-Naruto-kun's m-mission?"

"Eh? It was cool, we beat up these two idiot brothers who Kakashi-sensei says he had them sold to a prison, so we get some extra pay and stuff…I'm not sure what I should do with all the money though, still it's fun to look at" Naruto chuckled, before slurping up the last of the survivors.

"A-Ano…R-really?"

"Actually, come to think of it, I should probably get Tenshin-san to fix up my jacket, apparently these things don't hold up well against senbon, stupid needles went right through the links" He scowled, poking a finger through a whole in his sleeve for emphasis.

"S-Senbon? W-Why where you hit with S-senbon?"

"Ahehe, one of the people we fought on the mission specialized in senbon," He said. Although unsatisfied by the answer, Hinata chose to accept it.

'_It's obviously something he doesn't want to talk about…I'd best not pry…'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey Tou-san, you created the Hiraishin no Jutsu, right? I was wondering…what's it like to fly?" Naruto asked, before stepping off the edge of the monument...and dropping As the wind screamed past his ears, and the ground seemed that much closer, he couldn't help but smile. Letting his body relax, he spread his arms as though they were wings. The ground was really close now…

"HeheheHA! THIS IS-"

'Poof'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"FUN!" Naruto exclaimed, suddenly forgetting where he was.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.

'_Ahh crap, what the hell kind of dumb ass clone commits suicide? Son's of, that's it, I'm gonna kill 'em. Every last clone is going to die come tonight!'_

"I had a fun time, Hinata-Chan." Naruto said, cleaning up his last bowl, making a grand total of twelve.

"H-Hai, m-me too" The shy Hyuuga stammered, tapping her index fingers together nervously.

'_She's so cute when she does that'_

'_**It makes her look vulnerable…'**_

"I guess I'd better go meet up with my team, see ya Hinata-Chan" Naruto said, dropping some money on the counter and, without thinking, pecked the girl on the cheek before darting off down the street. Leaving a mildly stunned Hyuuga in his wake.

…

…

…

"Naruto-kun…definitely likes me" She blushed, before slumping down on the counter in front of her.

"Tch, poor girl, that idiot's way to easy-going" Ayame sighed, as she collected the bowls.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"AAARGH!!! I did it again!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nindo-lit. 'Way of the Ninja'. Same way as 'Bushido' means 'Way of the Warrior', 'Kendo' 'Way of the Sword' etc

Hiraishin no Jutsu-Art of the Flying Thunder God, the technique that truly made the Yondaime Hokage famous and earned him the title 'Yellow Flash'. After applying a special Jutsu Shiki (technique formula) seal to a person or object, the Yondaime was able to transport himself to that location in an instant, creating a 'yellow flash' for which he got his title.


	20. New Demon in Town

Chapter 20

New Demon in Town

_The fox, after seeing the true nature of the cherry blossom, retreats to the sunny place. The scarecrow paves the way to arena. While the fox explores the sunny place, he encounters the Tanuki, who is not all that he seems, nor all he should be._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

All seemed peaceful within Konohagakure no Sato, the sun was shining; the birds were singing, pink-haired Kunoichi were attacking blonde ninja…

"Gwaah! Sakura-Chan, don't aim _there_-ttebayo, Put your hips into it, good! Pivot, thrust, dodge, pivot, and zing!" Naruto sat perched on the underside of a tree branch, performing upside-down pushups as his teammate wailed down on a group of his clones. Offering an ongoing commentary all the while. A short distance away, Kakashi was reading the latest release of Icha-Icha Paradise, while fending of an aggravated Uchiha with one hand.

"Now, now Sasuke, you're getting too stressed, you won't be able to see straight. You need to focus more." The one-eyed Nin's advice was met with barley a grunt as the Uchiha continued his assault, his Sharingan blazing at two tomoe each.

"67, 68, 69, Hey, me over there! 70," Naruto shouted abruptly, pointing towards a clone staring at the sky.

"Eh? Whatdya want?"

"71, 72, 73, if you got nothing to do, why don't you go train Konohamaru or something? 74, 75, 76" Grumbling, the clone got up, slowly.

"Bah, not like there's anything better to do. You'll know when I bored of babysitting" The Naruto waved, before walking off, his hands in his pockets.

Naruto frowned

'_What's his problem? It seems like unless I've got them doing something all the time, my Kage Bunshin get all broody, and stuff. Kori's always saying I get weird whenever I stop and think about stuff…oh well, what do I care'_

"85, 86, 87," Glancing over to his teammates he let out a slight wince as Sakura dispelled another of his clones.

There was no doubt in Naruto's mind that Team Seven had progressed far from where they had started off. Their teamwork had improved as well as their skills. When performing missions, they were quick to fall into their unspoken roles, depending on the situation, however it normally revolved around certain formations. Sasuke was first assault, and 'heavy artillery', striking the target from head on. Naruto was second assault, coming in from the sides, or from behind and catching the opponent off guard, he was also the team tracker, using his superior senses to lead the chase if the target fled. In the meantime Sakura was backup, attacking the targets senses with a modest arsenal of basic Genjutsu. She was also the team negotiator and usually the one the clients spoke to apart from Kakashi. Of course, just because they each had their own specialty, didn't stop any of them from training in other areas.

"97, 98, 99, 100, Dattebayo!" Naruto stood 'up' and stretched, exhibiting no discomfort at being upside-down.

'_Kuso, I can't last much longer,' _Sakura thought, beads of sweat flinging from her scalp as she maneuvered.

'_**Shannaro! Forget these small fry, Kill 'em all with a single shot!' **_

'_I guess I'll have to use that move…I hope Naruto-baka isn't to upset'_ Stepping back abruptly, she immediately burst into some hand seals.

'_Here goes…'_

"Magen:..."

Naruto let out a yawn, before settling into a satisfied grin. Pleased at his accomplishment.

'_I wonder how Sakura-Chan's doing against my clones'_ Just as he was about to take a look at her progress, his whole body suddenly stiffened, causing him to fall, face-first from the tree.

'_Why? Why? Why did she use _that_ move?' _His mind cried out as His body twitched sporadically, his eyes swimming inside his head.

"Shannaro! I am the greatest!" The Kunoichi exclaimed, pumping her fists into the air, multiple clouds of smoke billowing up from around her.

"Sakura, you really should stop doing that to poor Naruto-kun, if you keep this up you'll break his brain," The silver-haired Nin reprimanded, scarcely glancing up from his book.

'_Why? Why does a human have such a monstrous characteristic?'_

"Aw, come on. It's not that big of a loss. Besides, he'll be fine. Watch; hey Naruto, Hinata said you got her pregnant" Sakura said, still standing several meters away from the blondes prone form. At first nothing happened, but then…

"DON"T KILL ME HIASHI-JI-SAN!" He suddenly exclaimed, throwing himself prostrate against the ground, while subtly trying to dig a hole. A vision of the Hyuuga head, carrying a miniature guillotine dancing across behind his eyes. It took him a full forty-five seconds to realize his situation. He glared angrily at his teammates, each laughing in their own way.

"Gaha! I can't believe you fell for that! 'Don't kill me, Hiashi-ji-san'? I wish I had a camera," Sakura gasped, doubling over with laughter.

"I'm more concerned at how easily he accepted the possibility of him impregnating the poor girl. Just what have you been getting up to Naruto?" Kakashi asked, his eye curved in a smile.

"S-Shaddup! I never should have even mentioned her to you guys" The blonde scowled, before crossing his arms in a pout. Not that many people actually knew about the Jinchuuriki's relationship with the Hyuuga heir. The only ones who knew about their budding affection consisted of Team Seven, Ichiraku Ramen, and the Sandaime.

"Okay, that's enough of that," Kakashi interrupted. "Since there's a Jounin meeting today, there won't be any missions, so you're free for lunch. However, I want all three of you here this afternoon for more training, no excuses. Well, Ja ne" The Jounin waved before vanishing with a Shunshin.

"Lunch Dattebayo!" Naruto shouted. "Hey, you guys wanna go hit Ichi…ra…ku?" His voice trailed off as he saw that his two teammates had already left. As far as they were concerned, Naruto eating Ramen was a natural disaster in itself.

"Fine, be that way. I got stuff to do too-ttebayo!" He pouted before half-heartedly storming off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

All eyes were on Kakashi as he entered the Hokage's office. The old clock in the corner ticked ominously.

"Maa, maa, sorry I'm late. I was on my way here when I saw a murder of crows, so I had to stand perfectly still until I was able to scare them off:" Kakashi said cheerfully, eliciting a sweat-drop from his fellow shinobi.

"All right then," The Sandaime began. "Since we all know why we're here I'll get straight to business. First, we'll hear from those who are watching over the new genin. Kakashi-kun, Asuma-kun, Kurenai-san, are there any genin who you would like to enter into the Chuunin exam?"

'_Of course none of them will nominate, those brats probably still can't throw a kunai straight'_

'_Ha, to send such inexperienced ninja into an exam like the Chuunin selection, it would surely be suicide'_

'_No matter which way you look at it, they're just to inexperienced'_ as the murmur died down, Kakashi stood forward.

"I, Hatake Kakashi, Jounin sensei for Team Seven, do hereby nominate for the Chuunin exam; Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, the genin under my command." The murmur shot up again but was swiftly silenced as Kurenai stepped forward.

"I, Yuuhi Kurenai, Jounin Sensei for Team Eight, do hereby nominate for the Chuunin exam; Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, the genin under my command." Before anyone could even get a word in Asuma stepped forward.

"I, Sarutobi Asuma, Jounin sensei for Team Ten, do hereby nominate for the Chuunin exam; Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji, the genin under my command"

'_What? All of them? That's never happened before'_

'_Do they really want their students to die that badly?'_

"M-Matte, Hokage-sama. I must speak. Those nine, they only became Genin a mere matter of months ago, they're too inexperienced!" Iruka exclaimed.

"So? I became Chuunin when I was half their age."

"But that's-"

"If anything, these D-rank missions are restraining them, on the off-chance we do get a c-rank its either too easy, or their leash is kept too short. Training can only teach you so much, what they need is real experience. Not just one or two isolated incidents, but to be in a state of perpetual danger."

"You…are you trying to crush them?!"

"I am trying to polish them, temper them beneath the furnace of life. Iruka-san, I understand your concern…but they are not your students, not anymore. They are my soldiers." The Hatake's voice had become cold, and stern, not a hint of mirth in his words. His one eye glared into Iruka's two, daring him to challenge his authority.

"Kakashi, that's enough." The gravely voice of the Hokage almost seemed to slice right through the tension, reminding them both just who was in charge. "Now then, let us go on with the rest of the nominations"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stared at the tree before him contemplatively, his nose twitching from time to time. With no particular thought in mind, he began humming. A somber tune that rose and fell. Without breaking tune, he turned to gaze at the resting girl beside him. He had come across the gentle Hyuuga on his way to Ichiraku's, however; he chose instead to join her in her resting, having worn herself out training earlier. They sat just inside a small bracket of woods, out of site of prying eyes.

The exact nature of the relationship between Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata was not one that could be labeled easily. They could not be described as 'going out' since apart from the occasional meal at Ichiraku's, or similar occurrence they never actually 'went out' together. Instead, most of their time together occurred by what some would perceive as pure coincidence. A random meeting of one another, when neither has anything particularly important to do. So on these occasions, they usually just did what they where doing today; simply enjoying one another's company. A gentle smile forming on his lips, he placed his hand over hers, rubbing gently. Enjoying the feeling of her soft, smooth skin against his own. Of course, that was only the back of her hand. The front of her hand, he mused, his fingers tracing along her palm, that was the hand of a warrior. Skin, taut and firm, a myriad of miniature scars across her fingertips, from the skin being repeatedly split open during Jyuuken training. Hands that would someday, if they had not already, draw blood, hands that would kill.

The thought of Hinata killing instilled conflicting emotions within the blonde. On one hand, he felt that to force such a gentle creature to take the life of another was just too cruel, a thing unbearable to even watch. But on the other hand, the hand that held claws, the thought made her all the more appealing. The image of her pale, flawless beauty, dancing naked amidst a shower of glorious blood made his body shudder with pleasure, before frowning. Glancing at his hand he realized he had inadvertently released his claws, their deadly points pressing oh-so-slightly into the sleeping girl's palm.

'…_This is…' _Before he could dwell further his head suddenly snapped up again, the snoozing girl beneath him shifting slightly at the sudden movement. His nose twitched slightly, before a feral grin spread across his face.

"I wasn't expecting such a visit…I wonder what he's doing here…" He moved to get up, but was suddenly pulled down again, as the sleeping Hinata clutched his arm.

"_Demo…onegai…stay…"_ She murmured, her eyes flickering slightly.

'_Who am I to disturb such a tranquil site?' _He let out a soft chuckle before forming a hand seal; gentle so as not to disturb his companion. A single clone appeared next to him. Without a word, the clone sped away, an excited grin upon his face.

'_Let the fool have his fun…All I need is just here' _He smiled serenely, before lying down, leaning into the girls sleeping form. As his eyes flitted shut, his free hand snaked around her back, before slipping under her jacket, resting upon her smooth, flat stomach. Letting out a deep, satisfied growl, he rested his head against her shoulder. As he drifted between wake and sleep, his hand began tracing a spiral pattern on the girl's stomach, starting from her naval and working its way outwards. At the same time, he began nibbling on her neck, biting softly with his enlarged canines, earning himself a soft moan as her dreams took a turn for the better.

As the two lay there, a soft glow filled the grove…

/mine…/

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was a bounce in his walk, as Naruto walked down the streets of Konoha, his nose twitching every couple of seconds.

'_A scent like this…there's no doubt, this is so cool!'_

As he walked, he suddenly heard a child's cry, followed by an angry voice…his voice, in fact.

'_Ah, that must have been the clone I sent out before…I wonder what I'm up to…I'm sure it can't beat what the other me is doing'_ He grinned, a slight blush forming on his cheeks.

'_I suppose I'd better see what all the fuss is about'_ He sighed, before softly walking up a nearby tree, giving him perfect view of the other clone, accompanied by Moegi and Udon, Konohamaru's friends. Konohamaru himself was being held up by one of them, a boy of about 14, was dressed in an all black costume, wore an odd, bandaged object on his back, and had purple markings on his face. The other, a girl about a year older than the first, had fierce eyes, what appeared to be a large fan strapped to her back, and blonde hair tied back into four 'tails'.

"Oi, Kabuki-san. What kind of a performer beats up on potential customers-ttebayo?" The clone demanded, jest fully.

"Oh, he's not a customer," 'Kabuki-san' leered. "He's a part of the performance." Chuckling, he shook the boy in his hands violently.

"N-Naruto-Nii-San…help me!" Konohamaru coughed out.

"Oi, oi, oi, this show's getting out of hand, you clown faced bastard!" The clone shouted, preparing to make a dash towards the newcomer. Grinning, the Naruto in the trees reached out to his counterpart, establishing a link.

'_Hey, when you start to move, dispel yourself, trust me…I mean you…whatever, just do it'_ Nodding once, the clone took a step forward, before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"W-wah?!"

"What the hell?!"

As soon as the clone took a step, the Naruto in the trees dashed out, appearing behind the painted boy, a fuuma shuriken held against his neck.

"Show's over, Kabuki-san," Naruto said, calmly extracting Konohamaru from the painted-boy's now loose grip and placing him on the ground.

"Naruto-Nii-san, you're awesome!"

'_Such speed…how did he get behind me so quickly?' _The black-clad boy gulped, his fingers twitching nervously.

"Kankurou…give it up, you've already lost" A voice spoke from a nearby tree. All heads turned to see the latest arrival; a stern looking redhead, wearing terracotta colored clothes, and with a large tan gourd strapped to his back, hanging upside-down from the tree branch.

'_What is with these guys and strapping things to their back?'_ Naruto pondered, as he put away his shuriken

"G-G-Gaara…I was just-" The black-clad boy stammered.

"Be silent. You're an embarrassment to our village"

"A-Ah, I'm sorry, r-really sorry". Frowning, the red-haired boy vanished in a swirl of sand, before appearing between the other two.

'_Hmm? So they're together…' _Naruto sniffed as he placed Konohamaru on the ground, before breaking into an enormous grin.

"Welcome, Itoko. I've been expecting you" Naruto spread his arms in a gesture of welcome, all the while grinning. The sand-boy frowned.

"You are…?"

"Ah, how rude of me. I am Uzumaki Naruto, Itoko" As he finished his sentence, Naruto let a small slip of Youki flare, causing the three newcomers eyes to widen.

'Wh-what was that?'

'_I-it felt just like Gaara's, who?'_

'…'

"I see…I apologize for not recognizing you at first, and for the actions of my foolish brother. Forgive me Naruto-Itoko"

"Nah, no problem. So what's you're name?"

"I am called…Sabaku no Gaara" The boy's voice was stoic, and, although polite, he spoke with no emotion. Something that Unnerved Naruto slightly, but he shrugged it aside.

"Really? So, Gaara-Itoko, you guys are from Sunagakure then? What brings you here?"

"My two siblings and myself are here to attend the Chuunin exam," Gaara explained, not even glancing at the two by his side.

"Hehe, that's pretty cool. I didn't expect to find another one of us so quickly" The blonde said, laughing slightly.

"Indeed, it was a…most fortunate coincidence"

"Yeah. Hey, I hate to go so soon, but I have to meet my team soon. We should meet up some other time"

"Yes…I assure you…we will meet again"

"Great, see you around Gaara-Itoko" Naruto waved, before ushering the Konohamaru Corp away. He missed the maniacal look that flashed across the sand-boy's face as soon as his back was turned. A look of pure bloodlust.

'_There's no doubt about it…he is one of the nine…I can't tell which but…'_

'_**YAHOOO! I can't wait to kill him! Render him limb from limb and devour his body whole! GYAHAHAHAHA!!' **_Just as the blonde vanished around the corner, the redhead slumped, clutching his head in pain.

"G-Gaara? A-are you all right? Is it-"

"I-If…if you fight him…that Uzumaki…you will surely die" Gaara panted, causing his siblings eyes to widen in terror.

'W-what is he? J-just what is he to cause such a reaction?'

"If…if you somehow…survive against the Uzumaki…I…I will kill you myself, he…he is MY.**PREY**!" The desert-child's eyes were wide and bloodshot, a maniacal gleam overshadowing his iris.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Haaa…he seemed nice, didn't he Konohamaru?" Naruto asked, rustling the boy's hair with his hand,

'_Sabaku no Gaara…I wonder just how strong you are…'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Team Seven stood around the bridge, Naruto had a slightly odd look on his face.

'Tch, Dobe probably ate too much food again'

"Morning people" Kakashi said, appearing atop one of the bridge arches.

"Your late!"

"Well you see, I got lost on the road of life and-"

"LIAR!"

"Well, this is rather sudden, but I've nominated you guys for the Chuunin exams." The copy-Nin said matter-of-factly.

"Wah?'

"No-way, really!?"

"…"

"Here's your application slips." Kakashi said, handing each of them a slip of paper.

"YATTA! Kakashi-sensei, I could just kiss you!" Naruto exclaimed, embracing his sensei in a bear hug.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't, I don't want to be arrested on charges of pedophilia" Kakashi blanched, forcing the excited blonde to ground level.

"Come on, you're just shy"

"While I remember, its up to each of you whether you take the exam or not, those who wish to enter need to fill in the form and turn them in at room 301 by 4pm tomorrow. That is all" The Jounin vanished in a Shunshin, narrowly avoiding another attack from the overly affectionate blonde.

"Moi, moi, maybe someone else will give me a kiss?" Naruto asked, looking at his two teammates with an odd glint in his eye.

"Naruto-baka, what are you-?"

"Dobe, if you so much as touch me I'll-"

"THREE WAY TEAMSOME!!!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"…To hand them in by 4Pm tomorrow, do you understand?"

"Hai"

"Good, hey Hinata, did you hear what I just said?" Kurenai asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Hai, 4pm."

"Alright then…you just seem a little distracted."

"Iie, its nothing, I just had an odd d-dream"

Alright then" Kurenai sighed, before vanishing.

'What a…wonderful dream' Hinata's lips turned up into a smile as the vision returned to her head.

XXXXXXXXX

_A solitary figure, standing in the middle of a lake. As she reaches out, the water reaches back in turn, embracing her. A pact is made with a water-god, and liquid flows through her veins. As the link is formed, a red fox emerges from the forest, joining her on the water. After taking a bow, the fox leaps into the air, kicking up the water and dowsing the woman. Smiling, she sends the water back, but the fox leaps out of the way. Back and forth the water flows, ne'er a drop touching the prancing fox…_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ji-san-uncle

Nii-Chan- brother, highly affectionate.

Itoko-cousin

Jyuuken-gentle fist, the Hyuuga clan's signature fighting style

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Fairly short chapter…but not that bad, I don't think the length will pick up for a few chapters, but my way of writing leaves many variables (Point a start, point b finish, x happens between a-b, so you get a+x+y+b where y is random stuff I think up on the spot, and x is the stuff I actually plan.)

I hope all you NaruHina fans out there are slightly more satisfied. Oh and any insinuations are purely that, they've never gone further than 'cuddling', and even then one or both of them is normally half asleep…in the meantime I suck at progressing romantic relationships, I wish I could just dump them in the state that I want them to be in and be done with it but that would cause more harm than good.

That thing near the end didn't result in sex either.

The technique Sakura used earlier? It will be revealed, I just didn't want to reveal it now. I've left a couple clues but yeah.

I can't help but feel I'm not paying enough attention to Sasuke…its just kinda hard to remember to include him since he virtually never talks at this point…oh well…

Oh and if anyone is able to draw that ending shot before the Gaara scene, I'd like to see it, just sent me a link to the pic on deviant art or whatever and I'll include it in my profile.

The same applies to any other bits of fan art you guys make; no-need to ask for permission just send the link…

(I didn't sound too presumptuous there did I? Or rather, is it too egotistical for me to assume some of my fans can draw, and have time to do so?)

Next chapter-Chuunin exams…yeah


	21. Are you a Fox? Or a Mouse?

Chapter 21

Are you a Fox? Or a Mouse?

_The group meet up with a number of new companions, but of all of them the lotus shines the most. The hound is found near the sunny place, and the fox swears to protect its territory. Scar face orders the fox to find a word, but Is surprised when he does so. Word in tow, the snake's daughter bids them welcome to her lair._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the sun rose above Konoha, a certain excitement was in the air, enveloping the village like an electrified blanket…or something. Deep within a certain forest, the Kyuubi heir was running around like a drunken chicken.

"I'm gonna be a Chuunin, I'm gonna be a Chuunin, Da-tte-bayo!" The blonde was bouncing from tree-trunk to tree-trunk as he sang, unconcerned with his horizontal standing.

/Excited?/ His foxy friend asked.

/Like fire in blood!/

/What is this 'test'?/

/Test of skill. Pass, treated better, more responsibility/

/Higher in pack?/

"Exactly! With this I'll be one step closer to Hokage!" Naruto exclaimed, before leaping from his tree. Spinning through the air, he landed on the ground, munching happily on a dragonfly.

/Confident?/

/Yes/ He yipped, swallowing the insect with a crunch.

/…If you fail?/

"Then I'll just have to try again next time, but I won't fail!"

/Watch your words, you shouldn't waste oaths/

"I know, its just, I get so fired up if I've got an oath to fulfill, like its impossible for me to fail"

/That's the point, but if you _do _fail, its enough to tear your heart out/

"How the hell did demon's get like this anyway?" Naruto pouted, glancing at his hand, specifically, the not quite normal nails on the ends.

/Who knows? Ask Kuroi Tsuku/

/Kuroi Tsuku sleeps until full moon. You know as well as I do/ Letting out a sigh, Naruto jumped over to a nearby stream and bent down to drink.

/Then remember it, ask later/

"Bah, I don't even now if half the stuff in my body is demonic, or unique to Bijuu. Tsuku-Sama's told me all about the other eight, and stuff, but never tells me the small stuff. I mean, as far as I know, the Kyuubi is the only truly demonic Bijuu, but I don't know for sure, and Tsuku-sama never tells me stuff like that, says 'its irrelevant', then asks me how my seduction techniques are progressing. I swear that fox is nothing but a pervert, Kitsune-hentai" He growled, before plunging his head under the water.

/Have you told Kuroi Tsuku about your mate?/ Kori yipped, hopping over to sit next to the blonde.

/Yes/

/What did he say?/

/He said;/

"'**Mugen you thrice-damned human fool, if you have even a drop of pride, you'll claim the girl immediately, or so help me that fool hound will,'** While strangling me through the cage. Y'know, I think he's ashamed at having a virgin for a successor"

/Why haven't you claimed her yet?/

"Well, I mean, we're getting to know each other better and stuff, and she's certainly…well my Oni-Zenshin is reduced to one syllable words when I'm around her…it's really distracting actually, but I don't want to do anything she'll hate me for, then what? …I don't want to lose a precious person…"

/Your sentiments should be treated with as much caution as your Oni-Zenshin, they both come from you after all/

/You insult me/

/No! I just-/

'Grrrrr-RAH!" Switching to fox form, Mugen tackled Kori to the ground, Growling menacingly as he stood over him.

/Submit, submit!/

getting up off his companion, he changed back into his human form, coughing slightly.

"I wish it was that easy for humans, none of that 'diplomacy' crap" Naruto grunted, as he thumped his chest, his lungs faltering under the strain of the sudden movement, so soon after changing shape.

/Words are overrated/ Kori sighed, climbing to his feet.

"Yeah…ugh why did I get up so early?" Naruto groaned, glancing at the sun. "I don't have to be there until four, and if I train I'll just tire myself out. I'm gonna need all the energy I can get for this."

/When wake is dull, turn to sleep/

"…something like that," Naruto sighed before walking over to, and onto, the nearby stream. Sighing, he closed his eyes, and sat down. Being careful to channel chakra all over his legs, he narrowed his eyes as he felt water tickling his naked legs.

"Still needs work…" He muttered, before closing his eyes, His legs crossed in a meditative position, thoughts of chakra and Jutsu whirring through his head.

'Must…learn to seal…hot ramen'

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

As hours tick by, it was soon approaching the designated time. All about the building various groups of three met up and made their way inside, Team Seven being no different.

As Naruto all but ran to his teammates, one could scarcely see his face behind his enormous grin.

"Ohaiyo-Gozaimasu!!"

"Tch, Urusai, Usuratonkatchi" The Uchiha grunted, but not even his insult could hide the smirk twisting at the side of his mouth.

"Oi, we need to stay focused" The Kunoichi of Team Seven scolded, with her hand on her tip and wagging her finger she looked scarily like a certain Nara genin's mother.

"Ahh, but I'm just so excited, there's probably lots of strong people here, Wah! It's almost enough to make my blood boil!" The blonde wailed, squirming around inside his weighted jumpsuit. Even the ever stoic Sasuke seemed to be having a hard time staying perfectly still, his eyes constantly darting about as though daring a foe to challenge him there and then.

"Come on, if we don't hurry up we'll be late" Sakura chided, grabbing Naruto by the ear and dragging him along, Sasuke trailing behind them.

"Ita-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-i-i, Sakura-Chan, stop! you know my ears are sensitive" He cried, flailing helplessly against her grip.

"Less taking, more walking" She commanded, a determined gleam in her eye.

'_We will _not _lose!'_

XXXXXXXX

As Team Seven made their way through the building, they slowly started to tense.

'_Why are so many people…just standing around out here, shouldn't they be inside already?' _As they continued forward, Sakura suddenly tensed, before nudging Sasuke with her elbow.

"_Sasuke-kun, Genjutsu ahead" _She whispered, subtly pointing to the door just down the corridor. The door marked as '301', and seemingly guarded by a pair of would-be intimidating Genin. Sasuke nodded once, before jabbing Naruto slightly harder than necessary.

"Teme-" Before the blonde could launch into an aggressive tirade, Sasuke tapped his nose, nudging his head towards the door. Getting the signal, Naruto sniffed the air, the scent of people, and chakra, flooding his senses.

It was a skill he'd picked up relatively recently, somewhere between Sakura scolding him for having difficulty sensing chakra (as if anyone could hide from _him_), and hearing that most Inuzuka, particularly Kiba, were capable of doing such a feat, the blonde had been temporarily overcome by his underlying superiority complex for all things canine, and trained until he too was capable of detecting chakra with his nose. A few days later, Kiba had been mysteriously attacked while, as far as he was concerned, completing a rather successful stealth exercise. It had taken the dog-boy three days to wash the dye out of his hair, and a further three days for the smell of carnations from his jacket. Funnily enough, around the same time Yamanaka Ino noticed that she was missing one of her books entitled 'Hanakotoba for Beginners, by Rimono Ikibi'

"_It's just a small one, centralized around the room number, there's also another around the two by the door, smells like a henge. Also, they seem stronger than… a Genin should be" _He conveyed, keeping his head low.

"_Wait, the door number? It says 301… but we only went up one set of stairs…that should be 201. Must be the Genjutsu" _Sakura concluded under her breath.

"_Whatever, lets just leave these fools behind." _Sasuke muttered, before walking unnoticed towards the stairs. Unnoticed except for a pair of round, black eyes that watched him calculatingly.

'_So that is him? Uchiha Sasuke…and who's that charming woman he's with?' _As the person moved, a pair of cold, white eyes glanced at him.

"Where are _you_ going?"

"Gomen, Neji-san, there is something I must take care of"

"Hmph, just don't be late…"

XXXXXXXXX

As the group walked out into a wide corridor before the stairs, they were suddenly stopped by a voice from the balcony above them.

"Excuse me, Uchiha-san" The voice spoke. As the team turned around they were greeted with the sight of a boy about their age, donning a bowl haircut, green spandex with orange leg warmers, and bandages wrapped around his arms to just below the elbow, a Konoha Hitai-ate tied around his waste like a belt. Atop his forehead a pair of thick, black eyebrows sat almost ludicrously.

"What?" The Uchiha demanded.

"I wish to challenge you. Right here, right now"

"Right now?" Sasuke demanded somewhat incredulously.

"Hai" Swiftly jumping off the balcony, the spandex clad ninja appeared on the floor in front of them,

"Why does Sasuke-Teme get all the fun?" Naruto pouted, folding his arms across his chest.

"Allow me to introduce myself," The person said. "My name is Rock Lee, hajimemashite"

"Uchiha Sasuke"

"Arigatou for accepting my challenge" Lee said, taking a stance. "I want to test my techniques against the offspring of the genius ninja clan, also," Trailing off, Lee looked towards the Haruno, a blush adorning his cheeks.

'_Oh no…oh no…ohnononononono!'_

"Will you go out with me? I swear I shall protect you with my life!" The green ninja gave her a thumbs up, and a wink, his teeth glinting oddly despite the lack of sufficient lighting.

"No"

'_**Come near this body with that freaky face and I'll force feed you your own haircut!'**_

"…I see" Lee said, somewhat dejectedly.

'_I have lost this round, but that only makes my heart burn more brightly for next time!' _

Sasuke snorted, "Challenging me, knowing the Uchiha name…frankly you're a fool. I'll show you, the power behind that name"

"Please, shall we begin?" Lee asked, resuming his stance. Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly stopped, his nose twitching.

'_That's…that is…what is that smell? It's smells familiar…' _As Naruto pondered over his new discovery, Sakura happened to glance at a nearby clock on the wall.

"Sasuke-kun, matte! We only have Thirty minutes to go, we have to hurry"

"I assure," The Uchiha said, smirking confidently. "This will take less than five" Before he'd even finished talking, he was already making his move, dashing towards his opponent at breakneck speed.

'_He _is fast_…but…I'm faster, gomennesai Gai-sensei, I may have to use that move'_ As the Uchiha approached him, Lee suddenly blurred before he seemingly vanished.

"What? Where?" He almost missed the blur of green as the bowl-haired youth appeared above him.

"Konoha Senpuu!!" As the kick came his way Sasuke almost panicked

'_Kuso! To fast to doge, block!'_ Quickly bringing his arms up to guard, everyone was astonished as the rookie of the year was sent sprawling by the kick, impacting upon the floorboards painfully.

"S-Sasuke-kun!"

'_What!? But I had blocked it, was sort of technique was that?'_

"Hmph, I don't know what technique you just used, but it doesn't matter, all your secrets will be revealed to me now" Sasuke said haughtily, as he picked himself up of the floor. His black eyes having turned blood red, a pair of tome in each.

'_Alright, now that Sasuke-kun's using his Sharingan he can't lose'_

'_**Shannaro! Kick that thick-browed freaks ass!'**_

"So, that is the Sharingan…but!" As the green-clad ninja moved again, Sasuke smirked.

'_Fool, I can see your every movement as if in slow-motion, victory is-!' _The Uchiha was brought out of his glory by a sudden, and violent kick the chin, sending him into the air.

'_Wh-what? My body…it couldn't-'_

"That's right, there is no trick to it. My movements are nothing but pure, refined speed. Konoha Kage Buyou!" Lee cried, leaping from the ground to beneath the airborne Uchiha, almost as if he were his shadow.

"Allow me to point out a flaw in your prized Doujutsu, Sasuke-kun. Even if you can follow my movements, if your body cannot match my speed then your red eyes are useless" As he spoke, the bandages on Lee's arms began to unravel, "You may be a genius, born of a genius clan, and taught by a genius, but I shall show you, that my skills earned from hard-work can surpass you!"

Just as he began to move his arms, Lee's technique was suddenly stopped, an idly rotating pinwheel flying through the air and nailing one of his bandages to a wall.

'_That's-!'_

"That's enough Lee" Everyone turned to face the newcomer, a rather craggy looking red turtle, with spirals painted onto each segment of its shell, and a Konoha hitai-ate around its neck.

"Uwaah!" As Lee reached the literal 'end of the line', he was suddenly jerked backwards, leaving Sasuke to his fate.

"Sasuke-kun!" With a cry, Sakura dived over, barley catching the dark-haired youth before he hit the ground.

"You were watching" Lee muttered darkly, his eyes downcast in shame.

"Lee, you know that technique is forbidden"

'_What the hells a turtle doing here? I didn't think any left Mizu no Kuni, specially this time of year' _Naruto absentmindedly scratched his chin as he pondered, watching as the red reptile scolded the Genin.

"I…I wasn't going to use the other one…" The boy offered feebly.

"You fool! You know what it means for a Shinobi to reveal his techniques"

"Hai! I am prepared!"

"Then here comes Gai-Sensei!" There was a poof of smoke, and a new ninja appeared atop the turtle.

'_Going by his flak jacket he's most likely that Lee kid's Jounin-sensei'_

"Haha! You kids are definitely living in the Springtime of Youth!!" The newcomer all but shouted. The smoke cleared to reveal a man in his mid-twenties, wearing an outfit identical to the Genin in front of him, but without the bandages on his arm. His hair was also identical, but his eyebrows were even more outrageous than his apparent student's. The man grinned, and gave a thumbs up, his pearly-white teeth giving off a glint even brighter than his student's.

"!"

'_Where? Where do these freaks keep coming from?'_

"!!"

'_**The eyebrows. The Eyebrows. THE EYEBROWS!!!!'**_

"Whoa!!"

'…_That spandex looks kinda comfy-ttebayo'_

The members of Team Seven stood there, flabbergasted by the unnatural presence of the mysterious 'Gai-Sensei', excluding Naruto who was stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Lee…" Gai said, his eyes boring into his student's

"Gai-sensei…" The Genin replied, hesitantly.

"Lee…you fool!" He cried, suddenly punching his student vehemently, sending him sprawling across the floor. As Lee picked himself up off the floor, the side of his face already starting to swell, he gazed at his sensei, tears streaming openly down each other's faces.

'_To cry so openly like that…they must be truly close…' _Naruto mused, his hand subconsciously reaching for his cheek.

"Sensei.. I…I…" The boy's stammering was interrupted as the elder man suddenly embraced him in an enormous bear hug.

"That's enough Lee, you've already said it"

"Sensei!" The boy cried out, returning the hug. As the two embraced, waves could be seen crashing behind them as the sun set dramatically, causing them to almost glow with fervor.

Naruto had an odd look in his eye, while Sakura and Sasuke were both sweating profusely, contemplating their urge to head for the hills.

"Yosh!! This is what Youth is all about!"

"Sensei!!"

"Hehe, That's some good stuff-ttebayo" Naruto grinned, pointing at the hugging pair.

'_I wonder what it would take to get Kakashi to give out hugs like that…maybe if I got some porn for him'_

"No-way!!! Too dangerous!!! Way too dangerous!!!" Sakura cried out belatedly.

'_**If that were Sasuke and a guy who was **_**hot however**_**…'**_

'_No, I'm not like that!!'_

'_I…I can't believe I lost to _that' Sasuke thought, torn between crying out in anguish and vomiting up everything he'd ever eaten.

"Lee, it's alright. Mistakes and Youth have always gone together" Gai said, breaking the hug and placing his hand on his student's shoulder.

"Sensei…your too kind" Lee replied as the pair stood up.

"However, you did start a fight, and you almost broke my rules. Your punishment…will be dealt after the exams!"

"Ossu!"

"Five-Hundred Laps Around The Practice Range!!" Gai proclaimed, striking his fist into the air.

"OSSU!!" Lee replied, his eyes set aflame by his zeal.

"…"

"Are they retarded?"

"So who's the funky turtle with the awesome shell-ttebayo?" Naruto demanded, pointing towards the spiral marked reptile.

At the sound of the blonde's voice, Gai turned to look at them.

'_These kids…so they're Kakashi's…'_

"Naruto-Baka, he's looking this way!" Sakura cried, while Sasuke did a very good impression of being invisible.

"You guys! How's Kakashi doing?" The Jounin asked, his hand on his hip.

"Eh? You know Kakashi-sensei?"

"'Know him'? Hehe," Gai chucked as he stroked his chin ambiguously. As the trio stared at the man, waiting for him to continue, they happened to blink, only to lose sight of him.

"People refer to us as 'Eternal Rivals'!" Gai said from behind the three, causing them to jump with shock.

'_No way…his speed…it's faster than Kakashi's'_

"50 wins, 49 losses. I'm stronger than Kakashi by a long shot" Gai grinned, gesturing to himself with his thumb.

"See!? Gai-sensei is incredible!"

"I apologize about Lee, I swear to this Beautiful face that it won't happen again" He said, giving a thumbs up to seal the oath.

'_He's not afraid to man-hug, swears upon things you can actually take away, and can kick Kakashi-sensei's ass? This guy's AWESOME!!'_

'_**He is superior to the half-thief, you should learn from him'**_

'_Nah, I think his everything's already been given to that Lee kid…'_

"You guys and Lee should head over to the classroom," Gai said, releasing Lee's bandages with a well-aimed kunai. As the boy began re-wrapping his hands, Naruto caught sight of them, causing him to almost gasp. The skin marred, scarred, and torn all across. The blonde wouldn't be surprised if his skin could stop solid steel given the chance.

'_So that's what that smell was'_

"Good luck Lee, farewell!" Gai proclaimed, before vanishing in a Shunshin.

"Ossu" Le replied, before tying the ends of his bandages back into his wrists. "Sasuke-kun, I feel I should warn you. I am the second strongest Genin from Konoha, the strongest, is on my team. Both you and he, are people I have set my sights on. Prepare yourself!" After issuing his warning, lee leapt back up top the balcony, disappearing from sight.

'_That guy…'_Sasuke scowled as the boy left, his hands clenching in frustration.

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Huh…So much for the glorious Uchiha…" Naruto said snidely.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed

"Sh-Shut up, I'll beat him next time"

"Nah, the way you are now, you'll just get your ass kicked."

"Why you…!"

"Y'know, the moment I saw him, I smelt something…you know what it was?"

"?"

"It was a…unique concoction…a combination of blood, sweat, and tears, soaked into every fiber of his clothing, into his skin, I'm sure even his bones."

"What are you getting at Dobe?"

"I didn't realize at first, but then I saw his hands…then I realized. That guy, he's fought and broken and beaten, and trained, sending himself beyond breaking point time and time again. He does not train casually. Uchiha Sasuke, you lost because compared to him, you're the laziest slob on the face of the planet. Hell, he probably makes me look bad. To beat a guy like that…you got to train yourself as though you where about to die…that's all there is…"

The Uchiha glanced downwards, before unclenching his fists.

'_Sounds like fun…'_

"This is getting fun…this Chuunin exams…"

"All Right!"

"Shall we go? Naruto? Sakura?"

"Yeah…"

"Hell Yeah!" The three grinned, before making their way onwards.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ah…took you long enough" Kakashi sighed as the trio approached room 301.

"Hey Shaddup! We got distracted by that friend of yours"

"What friend?"

"He called himself 'Gai' or something"

"Hmm? I don't know anyone who calls themselves that" The one-eyed Nin smiled carelessly.

"But he…you…ah screw you Sensei" Naruto scowled.

"Indeed, so, are you going on or not?" Kakashi smiled again, stepping away from the door.

"Hell yeah!!"

XXXX

As Team Seven walked through the door, they were surprised by what they saw.

The whole room was completely filled with Genin, some looking as old as near twenty, but very few around their age group.

'_Are they all taking the exam? They all look so strong…'_ Sakura twiddled her fingers nervously.

'_**Shannaro! Just look at me funny and I'll kill you all!!'**_

"Sasuke-kun! Your late!" a distinctly 'girly' voice cried out, before latching itself onto the last Uchiha, revealing its true-form of a blonde girl, wearing a pony-tail and purple clothes, with wide, blue eyes.

"I haven't seen you in sooo long, I've been waiting in excitement" Ino proclaimed, completely unaware of the distress signals being given off by the Uchiha.

'_No subtlety, if you wanna seduce a guy like the Teme you can't let him know your true goals, and sake, you'll definitely need lots of sake…or blackmail, lots of blackmail.' _Naruto nodded sagely.

"Get away from Sasuke-kun, Ino-Bunta!"

'_**Back, foul demon! He's mine!!'**_

"Well if it isn't Sakura…big forehead as usual…"

"What did you say?!"

'_**That's it. Bitch dies!'**_

"Tch, are you guys taking this test to? Mendoukusai…" Shikamaru muttered, wandering over to retrieve his wayward teammate, his 'big-boned' friend happily munching from a bag of chips by his side.

"Oh look, it's the three stooges!!" Naruto said sarcastically.

"Don't call us that…" The Nara boy scowled, his hands in his pockets.

"Sasuke-kun is mine! Bleh!!" Ino chided, making a face at her pink-haired rival.

"Yahoo! There you guys are!!" A rather energetic voice cried out over the crowd. The group turned to look at the owner, one Inuzuka Kiba, with his teammates, and their unofficial team mascot atop his head.

"K-konbanha…" Hinata stuttered. At the sight of his pale-eyed 'friend' A grin suddenly found itself upon his face.

'_All-right! Hinata-Chan made it! This is great…I could just…no! No! Bad fox! I'm NOT a common dog, I will NOT wag my tail Dammit!'_

"Hehe, looks like everyone's here," Kiba laughed. "All nine of the rookie Genin…I wonder how far we'll get, eh? Sasuke-kun?" The dog-Nin asked tauntingly,

"Pfft, you seem confident" The Uchiha retorted.

"Hehe, yeah! We did a lot of training, we won't lose to the likes of you guys!" Kiba laughed. Naruto was about to jump in when suddenly he saw Kiba do something. Something unforgivable. Something he knew, then and there, that the rowdy Genin would pay for with his blood. He slung his _arm_ around Hinata's _neck_!

'_Hand contact, skin on skin, Hinata's neck…the neck…_that_ spot…' _The Fox-Nin narrowed his eyes as he observed the situation, taking not of the shy girls obvious discomfort at the 'friendly' contact. He clenched his fist, his claws digging into his palm unnoticed by all.

"I'd watch myself mutt," The blonde said coldly. "There are some foes that _no_ amount of training can _truly_ prepare you for" Half-a-dozen heads glanced at Naruto, put off guard by his unusually quietresponse.

"Gomen, Naruto-kun, K-Kiba-kun didn't mean it in t-that way" Hinata apologized, hesitant at experiencing such a reaction from the blonde.

"Ah, hey. No need to apologize for the mutt, Hinata-Chan. He can speak human now" Naruto jested, scratching the back of his head as he grinned. A brief movement caught his eye, and he turned to glance at Team ten's third member, Aburame Shino.

'_Oh, he's that guy who always smells of bugs, soil…and a _lot_ of chakra…he never really says much…meh, not my type of guy' _He dismissed, noticing out of the corner of his eye as Hinata subtly stepped to the side, forcing Kiba to relinquish his grip.

'Score one for the Uzumaki, hell yeah!'

"Tch, you guys should be more quiet," A voice said, before walking over. He was a boy of about fifteen, with silver hair tied into a ponytail, glasses, and a Konoha Hitai-ate on his forehead.

"You guys are rookies just out of the academy, correct? Screaming like school girls, you're not in the academy anymore." The senior Genin chided.

"Bah, who do you think you are?" Ino demanded.

"Me? I'm Kabuto, but instead of that look around"

"Huh?" As the group glanced around they were faced with the gaze of countless icy-cold stares as the other participants glared at them.

"Everyone is nervous, and the presence of rookies makes them feel self-conscious. Heh, you remind me of how I used to me"

"Ano, Kabuto-san? So that means this is your second time?" Sakura asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"No, my seventh. These exams are held twice a year so this is my fourth year".

"Oh, so you know a lot about this exam?"

"Man…it must be really tough…seven times?"

"Tell you what, why don't I give you a few tips, with my 'Ninja Info Cards'" Kabuto smirked, whipping out a pack of orange-backed cards.

"Your what?" Naruto asked, staring at the cards in confusion.

"Oh yes, my 'Ninja Info Cards'"

"Yeah but…what are they?"

"Well, they are basically a means of storing information, my 'Ninja Info Cards'"

"…I don't get it" The blonde asked, dead-panning.

"They look blank, but to open these 'Ninja Info Cards', its just a simple matter of applying my chakra. Four years of info at the touch of a finger" The glasses wearing Nin answered, placing a card on the ground as the others knelt around it.

"Oh, like seals. Why didn't you say?"

"Baka! Do you have cards on individuals?" Sasuke asked.

"Oho? Someone your worried about?"

Ignoring his remark, the Uchiha spoke anyway. "Rock Lee, of Konoha"

"Sabaku no Gaara, of Suna" Naruto added, earning him an odd look from his teammates.

'Who? I didn't see anyone like that'

'_Might as well see how my Itoko's done so far' _Naruto grinned.

"Oh, you know their names? That makes it much easier, with my 'Ninja Info Cards'" Kabuto smirked, before swiping two cards from the deck and placing them on the ground.

"Hurry up"

"Ok, first up is Rock Lee," Kabuto said, reading off the card that now bore the likeness of the spandex clad Genin from before. "He's a year older than you guys, he's completed 20 d-rank missions, and twelve c-rank. His Jounin Sensei is Maito Gai, he excels at Taijutsu, and is accomplished with tools, but that's about it. He gained a reputation as a talented new Genin last year but did not compete. His teammates are Hyuuga Neji, and Sogekihei Tenten."

"Oh, that must be Tenshin's daughter, I think I've seen her…wait Neji?" Naruto suddenly asked, an odd look on his face.

"Yes, why?"

"Oh, nothing" He said, glancing at Hinata's nervous form across from him.

'Hyuuga Neji…that guy…the 'Genius of the Branch-family'…a guy like him…'

"Okay then, next is Sabaku no Gaara" Kabuto said, straightening his glasses before tapping the other card. "He's done an unknown number of d-rank missions, 8 c-rank, and 1 b-rank…wow, a B-rank as a Genin? Since he's new, and foreign, I don't have much information on him, but he reputedly carries a large gourd everywhere, and has supposedly returned from all his missions without a scratch" The gray-haired Genin finished. Glancing up at the group's nervous faces.

"…hey Teme…"

"What?"

"That mission to Nami…did we have any scratches when we came back?" Naruto asked ambiguously.

"No…no we didn't…" Sasuke replied, getting the subtle message of encouragement.

'_Of course, _all_ of our wounds had healed long before we went back, but still…we can boast the same...'_

"Of course, not just these two, but all the representatives from the villages were sent here because they are believed to possess the skill and wit to become Chuunin. In other words, they're all the elite of the elite amongst Genin" Kabuto smirked, a dangerous glint in his eye.

"You say that…but then…why do they all smell so strongly of fear?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side. Before the glasses-wearing Nin could answer, several audible 'poofs' could be heard from the front of the classroom.

"All right ladies, button up! The first part of the exam is about to begin" A gruff, aggressive voice barked. From the smoke emerged a tall man, wearing a bandana and a rather intimidating trench coat, his face marred with two diagonal scars. Behind him stood a dozen or so Konoha Shinobi, each wearing the uniform of an examiner.

"Let me just say here and now; I am Morino Ibiki, proctor of the first exam, and from hereon in, my word is Law!" He barked, sending a ripple of tremors throughout the crowd.

"Now then, each of you come up and grab a number, that'll be were you sitting. We will then hand out the exams," Ibiki said, gesturing to an examiner to his side holding a bundle of papers.

"Ah…I see…of course…a written exam!?!?" The orange-clad ninja all but exploded.

XXXXXXXXXX

"There are many important rules to this exam. I'll write them on the board while I explain but No Questions!" Ibiki barked, before picking u a piece of chalk.

'No questions? What kind of ane exam is this?' Sakura thought to herself.

"This test is made up of ten question, each question you get right is a point, and each question you get wrong is minus a point. You start of with ten points, and if you run out of points you fail the exam."

'So…all wrong and your out'

"Next, this is a team exam. If one person fails, then both of his or her teammates fail with them."

"What? But why-" A Genin spoke up.

"Did I say you could talk? No? Then shut up before I disqualify you for wasting examiner's time" Ibiki growled, before returning to the board.

"Finally, anyone caught cheating by an examiner, will be deducted 2 points for every offence. As Shinobi trying to become Chuunin, show some pride. You who get caught are just destroying yourselves"

"…"

'We are so freaking screwed…'

"You have one hour, begin!"

A chorus of paper rustling could be heard as the Genin turned their paper over. Within seconds the telltale sound of scribbling could be heard throughout the room.

'It's okay…as long as Naruto doesn't get zero points we'll be fine' Sakura sighed, before looking at her own paper.

'Okay…calm down…find your happy place…'

'_**Procure offspring!!!'**_

'…_not too happy…focus! You can do this if you only focus…lets see…the first is…a cryptogram…' _Naruto face-planted as his brain failed pathetically to make sense of the jumble of Kanji before him.

'_Kuso! It looks like Naruto's losing it already. Ugh, forget him. I need to focus on my own problems. Lets see, No.2; Line B., shown in the picture, is the greatest possible distance a Shinobi can throw his shuriken from a tree of 7y meters. For enemies who appear within the circumference of the shuriken's range, explain the attack options using this distance. Show all working…Fuck, Naruto's boned…at least I can do it'_ Sakura let out a belated sigh before getting to work.

'_Okay…it is physically impossible for me to answer a single one of these questions…I, for one, blame Tsuku-sama. Uragh! I can't even cheat if I wanted to, Kage-Bunshin would be way to obvious. Same with Katachi Koutai no Jutsu, it's daytime so all my Kitsunepou are useless, ugh." _He let out a muffled groan, rubbing his temples furiously. Out the corner of his eye he noticed his teammates working furiously, he also noticed a slight red tinge to Sasuke's eyes, obscured by his hair.

'_Teme's cheating already! Don't rub it in Teme! Okay, calm down. You need to think this through. Look beneath the Underneath, as Kakashi-sensei always says.' _As Naruto's mind whirred, his fingers began tapping on his desk,

'Du-dun, du-dun, du-dun-dun-dun. Du-dun, du-dun, du-dun-dun-dun. Du-dun, du-dun, du-dun-dun-dun.' As the beat sun around and around in his head, he felt his panic fading, all his surface thoughts evaporating into the depths of his mind, leaving only a single, direct train of thought.

'_We start of with ten points…teams points combined…team starts with thirty points…perfect score of sixty points…questions freaking impossible…everyone is cheating to get the answers…those who get caught lose two points…those who aren't caught…say teammates get perfect score…that's forty points there…add my score…that's fifty…almost perfect already…leave the page blank…'_ As his thoughts came to a steamy conclusion a feral grin broke out onto the blonde's face, the same kind of grin a predator gets when it's cornered its prey and broken its legs, a grin that guaranteed the success of the wearer.

'_Tch, cocky brat…I wonder if I should deduct some points just for that?' _Ibiki pondered, glancing at the blonde. _'Well he looks like an idiot anyway, he probably won't pass this last question. Just about all the stragglers have left too, so I might as well wrap things up.'_

"And now, we will begin the tenth Question" The Examiner said, morbidly, causing many of those remaining to gulp nervously.

"Now then, I would just like to go over some added rules for this tenth question. These are…the rules of desperation. For you must choose whether to take this question or not"

"What!? What happens if we don't take the question?"

"Then you, along with you teammates, fail the entire exam"

"What kind of a joke is this? Of course we choose to accept it!"

"But if you do accept, and get the question wrong, then that person loses the right to ever even attempt the Chuunin exam ever again"

"That's Bullshit! There's guys who've taken this exam before!" Kiba shouted.

"Hehe, you guys just got unlucky. They didn't have me as an examiner last time. They're playing by my rules now. Of course, you can always just bail, and try again in six months time, maybe you won't get me next year?" Ibiki offered.

'_Kuso, if I choose and get it wrong, I'm doomed for life. If I refuse, we all fail!'_

"Those who wish to give up raise your hand"

'_Damn it, he's looking down on me! I hate it when people look down on me! This situation…it seems familiar…'_

"I…I won't take it!!" A Genin proclaimed, bowing his head in shame." I…I'm sorry"

"Me too!"

"And me!"

"Kindly escort these cautious people off the premises," Ibiki ordered calmly.

'_These guys…they're practically sacrificing their own teammates because their afraid of worse happening to them…how despicable…reminds me of Nami…'_

As several more people made their way out, profusely apologizing to their teammates, Naruto made his decision. Slowly at first, he raised his hand.

'_N-Naruto? Why?'_

'_That fool…I guess he panicked after all…so much for-'_

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME! I'M NOT THE KIND OF SCUM THAT ABANDONS HIS TEAM!!!" He roared, slamming his fist down onto his desk, sending splinters into the air.

"WHATEVER YOU THROW AT ME, I CAN TAKE IT! I WON'T BACK DOWN!!! RANK MEANS NEXT TO NOTHING!!!!" The room was full of wide eyes, as his declaration washed over them, his words sinking in to everyone's minds.

'_He's willing to sacrifice himself for his teammates eh? Well at least he's got guts, but guts won't keep you alive all the time'_

"I'll ask you again, your life is riding on this decision. This is your last chance to quit." Ibiki warned, a menacing grin upon his face.

"I follow my unyielding words, regret nothing. That is my Nindo." The blonde proclaimed brashly.

As the seconds passed, not a single hand was raised, each Genin sporting a confident grin mimicking the Uzumaki's.

'_That kid…he just about blasted everyone's worries away…78? That's more than I expected. No point stretching it out though,'_

"To those of you still here, I congratulate you on passing the first test!" The interrogator suddenly proclaimed, stunning everyone in the room.

"You-wah??"

"But…the tenth question…?"

"There was no tenth question. Or rather, you could say that 'yes, I'll stay', or 'No, I'll leave' where the options, with yes being the correct answer." He explained, a disturbingly pleasant grin o his face, instead of hi earlier, intimidating one.

"But then, the first nine question were pointless!!"

"Not at all, they allowed us to grade your capability to gather, and discern information. This whole test was designed to apply pressure to you, by placing the fate of your teammates in your hands, by demanding answers you didn't know and threatening punishment of you, and your team if you didn't give them, or tried to discover them for yourself. Of course, within this exam we placed several 'moles', Chuunin in disguise that already knew all the answers for you to attempt to cheat off. Of course, those who cheat poorly…" The man trailed off, as his hand reached up, untying his bandana, revealing the gruesome flesh beneath. "Because sometimes, information is more valuable than life. And on the battlefield there are those who risk their life to obtain it."

'_Horrible burns, screw-holes, scars…he's been tortured…quite some time ago'_

"I want you to remember this, Information can be a powerful weapon, for your comrades, and for your village. So we had you cheat to discern who had the right abilities." The interrogator smiled, cheerfully, as he replaced his bandana.

'_This guy…he's completely insane…and awesome!'_ Naruto could help but grin at the man's contrasting personalities.' He's_ like the ultimate actor…I wonder if he can give me some tips?'_

"But I don't understand the final question"

"Ah, the tenth question. _That's_ the true purpose of this test. The 'take it' or 'not take it' decision. Let me put it this way; say you guys become Chuunin. Your mission is to steal a secret document. The number of enemy ninja, their abilities, etc, all unknown. And of course, they may be traps or who knows what lying in wait for you. Now, do you accept, or not accept? Because you didn't want to die, because you didn't want you comrades' hurt, can you avoid the dangerous mission? No! To be courageous, to survive any hardship, those are the qualities looked for in a Chuunin. Those who hesitate, who say 'there's always next year'…are cowardly pieces of trash! But to the rest of you, congratulations on completing the first part of the exam. I wish you all luck-"

Before Ibiki could say anything further, a whirl of brown and tan came crashing through a nearby window, glass shard flying everywhere. As the blur came to a stop in front of Ibiki, it launched a air of Kunai into the ceiling, erecting an ornate banner behind it.

"Holy Mother of Ramen!!"

As the banner unfurled it revealed a name, and instructions, most of which obscured by the woman standing in front of it. She wore fishnet-chain mail, covered by a heavy brown trench coat, and wore a dark brown miniskirt. Her dark hair was tied into a wide spike behind her head, and she had a cheeky grin on her face.

"This is no time to be celebrating! I am Mitarashi Anko, Proctor of the second stage of the Chuunin exam. Now lets go, follow me!!" She proclaimed, thrusting her arm up into the air.

"…bad timing" Ibiki muttered from behind the banner, causing the bizarre woman to pout.

'_This examiner is Naruto-ish' _Sakura thought glumly. Meanwhile, the blonde in question had start in his eyes, and was halfway towards jumping out of his seat and stealing some adoption papers.

'_Mother, sister, landlady, roommate, maid, No.2 in a harem, I don't care where I want this woman in my life! I wonder if I could convince Hinata to…'_

'_**Show them the pleasures a woman can give, then introduce them to each other, include sake'**_

Anko glanced over the room, before glowering at Ibiki.

"78? You left 26 teams?"

"What can I say, they're a wild bunch" The gruff man shrugged, clearly used to the Tokubetsu Jounin's antics.

"Pfft, whatever. I'll see to it that less than half remain by the end of this one. To the next area!" She proclaimed, before marching out the door. "Ah, I'm getting excited" She moaned, suddenly, before continuing her march.

'…_why is everyone so much cooler than Kakashi-sensei?' _Naruto pouted, as he moved along.

XXXXXXXXX

As Ibiki collected the papers he noticed something odd about the one he'd just picked up.

"A blank test? Who…?" As he glanced at the name he was only half-surprised as he read the name of the obnoxious blonde from the end.

"Hmm…no, wait, he answered one of them. Q.10 'Yes'…."

'_He was quite literally bluffing with no hand…and he got everyone around him to believe that bluff, and not even question it…to boost morale like that…he'd make a fearsome leader to fight against…Uzumaki...Naruto...'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hanakotoba- the Japanese language of flowers

Konoha Senpuu_-_ Leaf Whirlwind

Konoha Kage Buyou- Leaf Shadow Dance

Doujutsu-eye technique

Konbanha-good afternoon

Nami-wave

Mizu-water

Kuni-country

A/N: FYI Carnations symbolize disappointment in Hanakotoba,

Yeah…Naruto-Abridged is funny…provided you don't mind Sakura-bashing, and the occasional lame one. On the other hand…LOG-ed!!!.

So, that's the whole first exam in a single chapter…good decision? Bad decision? I need feedback here people!


	22. The Stroking of the Big Tree

Chapter 22

The Stroking of the Big Tree

_The fox is surprised to find himself back where he started, however, his home has been overrun with intruders. The snake's daughter charges him with dispelling these intruders, and reuniting all creation. _

XXXXXXXXXXX

There was a general murmuring as the Tokubetsu Jounin led the crowd through the village. Many where nervous, and apprehensive, some confident, and some who just couldn't care less. Then there was Naruto, a certain blonde Genin whose frown continued to grow deeper and deeper as the group traveled.

'The way we're going…nah…couldn't be…could it?' His nose twitched as a foreboding wind passed by, sending shivers down several Genin's spines as it did so.

Eventually the purple-haired Kunoichi signaled for the group to stop. A chorus of gasps could be heard as the Genin took in the sight that stood before them; a giant, meshed fence, ten times the height of an average adult. The ground near the fence was utterly bare, the grass having withered and died some twenty meters ago. But the fence was not the problem; the problem was what lay _behind_ the fence.

Trees.

Big Trees.

Quite a few Big Trees, actually.

Okay, that was a major understatement, perhaps one should rephrase.

Imagine Trees,

Trees taller than all the Harlem Globetrotters stacked end-to end,

Trees thicker than the lovechild of Dumb and Dumber, after an unfortunate microsurgical mishap involving a chainsaw,

Trees more numerous than the number of times the keys L and O are pressed consecutively in any given 24hr period in the past year.

Okay, now imagine some incomprehensibly powerful force gathers all of these trees, grinds them into sawdust and uses them to make a giant Paper Mache Super tree.

These trees could have kicked that Super tree's knotted arse without lifting a single, gnarly finger. Assuming trees had arses and fingers that is…

A single one of these trees could have supplied enough paper to publish every SasuNaru doujin in existence and still only lose a twig.

These trees where so big, flightless birds would be forced to fly circles around them.

These trees…well, they're big.

Anko smirked as she gazed over a small sea of gaping mouths, and twitching eyebrows.

"I bid you welcome, to the second stage of the Chuunin exam, Konohagakure's Practice Arena 44, also known as…'The Forest of Death'" As the words left her lips, Naruto's eyes suddenly slammed shut, his face splitting open into a dangerous looking grin.

"Heh…hehe…hehehehe…hehehahahahHAHAHA!!! The 'Forest of Death!?' _THAT'S _what they call this place?!" The blonde Genin exclaimed, clutching his sides in laughter.

"Naruto, what are you-" Sakura began, but got cut off.

"Feeling confident are we?" Anko smirked, her wrist twisting in its sleeve. "That's good…after all, it's the loudmouths like you…that die first" Before she even finished talking the elder Kunoichi had already let fly the kunai in her sleeve. A split-second later the projectile impacted against the ground, and the trench-coat wearing woman was standing behind the blonde, cupping his head as she leaned in against him, her pink tongue probing the fresh wound on his whiskered cheek. She swallowed audibly and opened her mouth to speak, only to pause in an unconscious shudder.

"By the gods, that tastes _sooo good!_" She moaned, struggling furiously to stop her legs from giving way beneath her.

Once he got over the initial shock at her movements, the blonde turned to face the brown-haired woman, an odd expression on his face.

"You…you have no idea what you just did…" His voice came out smoothly, quietly, an odd mix of anger, and amusement. The Tokubetsu-Jounin could have sworn that, for a split-second, the whiskered blonde's cerulean eyes had flashed a burning crimson, at the same time she felt herself awash with a sensation that was all too familiar for her liking.

"Excuse me," A voice said from behind them. "But I believe this is your Kunai" As the pair turned, they were greeted by the site of a pale faced androgyny, wearing a Sugekasa for headwear, and gripping the forgotten Kunai with an abnormally long, prehensile tongue.

"Why thank you" Anko smiled, quickly regaining her composure and calmly plucking the kunai from the mysterious Nin's 'grasp'. "But you know, you really shouldn't sneak up behind me," She chided, wagging her finger. "Unless you want to die, that is."

"Ah…forgive me, I get a bit excited by the site warm, red blood…And you cut my precious hair, I couldn't help it" The person gave a chilling smile, before returning to their team.

The various Genin looked on, many of which thoroughly disturbed by the events.

'_That tongue…the things you could do!' _A slight grin found its way to Naruto's face, an almost invisible tinge of red on his cheeks.

"Well, well, it looks like we've got a lot of bloodthirsty ones in this test…hehehe should be fun" Anko chuckled, before reaching into her trench coat.

'_I can't believe she did that…this could be good or bad…ah well, like Tsuku-sama says '"_if a situation can go either way, make sure it goes your way_"_' Naruto sighed softly, as the woman next to him procured a bundle of papers.

"Before we start the second test, there's something I need to pass out"

"You're gonna wah?"

"You must all sign these release statements. Wouldn't want anyone blaming us if you died from your own incompetence now would we?" The crowd blanched as she grinned,

"First I'll explain this second exam, then you can take care of these little annoyances. Then each Team will check in at that booth behind me" She explained, gesturing to a rather bland looking stall behind her, inhabited by a trio of rather bored looking Chuunin, before handing out the papers. As the Genin distributed them amongst themselves she continued.

"Now then, put simply, the purpose of this exam is Ultimate Survival Training.

'Survival training? Mendoukusai…'

"There are forty-four locked gates leading into Practice Ground 44. Within there is a dense forest, and a river that cuts through it. In the center, you'll find a tower. It's about Ten Kilometers from any one gate to the tower. During this exam your task is, with no restrictions of any kind barring outside help, to compete in a scroll battle" The purple haired Kunoichi explained, pulling out a pair of near-identical scrolls from her trench-coat for display.

'Pulling all this crap out of no-where…she's as bad as Naruto!'

"Scroll battle?" A Genin asked.

"Yup! There's two scrolls, 'Ten' and 'Chi'. There's also 26 teams here, how convenient! Half of you will get a 'Ten' scroll; the other half will get a 'Chi' scroll. You wanna pass this test, you gotta reach the tower with both scrolls. Now, there's a few rules…"

"Hey! You said there where no rules!" Naruto demanded.

"You think I care? First of all, your whole team must make it to the tower alive, and together. Secondly, this test lasts exactly 120 hours, namely, five days."

"Five days!?"

"What about dinner?" Chouji demanded.

"Well, throughout the forest you'll find a series of five-start hotels, each requiring no payment of any kind, willing to cater to your every whim and desire. If you're nice, they'll even push you to the tower on a TEA TROLLEY!!" She exploded, suddenly. "It's a forest; find your own damn food!!. That is, if you can avoid all the man-eating beasts, beast eating insects, insect eating plants, man eating plants, man eating insects, poisonous plants, Oh!" She exclaimed, punching her fist against her palm. "I almost forgot, they just recently introduced a rare species of man, beast, _and_ plant raping trees, I hear they're just thriving! Of course, you also have to worry about all the opposing teams. I'd advice against sleeping if you can help it. Also, there's no quitting halfway through, you go through that gate, you're in there for the full five days. And one more thing, do NOT open your scrolls before you make it to the tower"

"What if we do?" Naruto asked, skeptically.

"Well, that's a surprise now, isn't it? As Chuunin, you will be asked to handle classified information; this is to test your trustworthiness. Alright!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Question time is over, please form an orderly queue at the booth to hand in your consent forms, pick a gate and get ready to start!"

As the Genin began lining up in their teams, a black curtain was pulled over the front of the booth, blocking the view from outside.

'I see, so there's no way of telling who gets what scroll…' Sasuke scowled as he filled out his form. Once he was done, he regrouped with the other members of Team Seven.

"So…Sasuke-kun, Ano…which gate should we enter from?" Sakura asked.

"Hmm…A gate with sparse tree-growth would make for a faster pace first off"

"Hell no, we need a gate near a river!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing to a gate barely in sight.

"Baka! It would take longer to go all the over there" Sakura scolded.

"Yeah, but the river leads straight to the tower, besides, its fresh-water, so we can drink it. And there's lots of fish that are good to eat-ttebayo!" He added, nodding vigorously.

'I don't believe it, the Dobe actually made a good suggestion'

"And just how do you know all of this?" Sasuke demanded. Naruto paused, considering his reply carefully.

'If I say I live here, they won't believe me…I don't want them to know where I do all my private training, they might walk in on something…'

"Well…you could say I hang around here a lot, ttebayo! I used to sneak in here all the time back in the academy"

'Well…I was sneaking most of the time…so it's not a lie…'

"Pfft, as if a Dobe like you could survive in there"

"Oi,oi, it's not that dangerous. You just gotta keep your wits about you"

"As I said…"

"Gah, look Teme, I'm trying to help, just trust me okay?"

"…"

"Sakura, what do you think?" The blonde demanded. Sakura couldn't help but flinch at the determination shining in his eyes.

'That idiot…he'

'_**He's telling the truth, besides, isn't he always the one to gather food and stuff on missions?' **_The Haruno had to admit, her inner-personality made a good point. She let out a sigh of surrender.

"Fine, we'll start off near the river, but if you're wrong about this you're target practice for a week, got it?"

"Hell yeah!"

"…"

'_Dammit Sakura, you're supposed to be on my side'_ As Team Seven handed in their legal waivers; Naruto could have sworn he saw Sasuke pouting.

'Nah, just my imagination'

"Alright, here's your scroll" The Chuunin said, handing them a scroll marked as 'Ten'. "Good luck in the exams" As the members of Team Seven turned to leave; Naruto suddenly paused and turned around again.

"Hey, Ossan, any chance you know who organized this part of the exam?"

"Huh? Since you're Konoha Genin I guess I can tell you. S'far as I know, this whole portion was set up by Tokubetsu-Jounin Mitarashi Anko, just as the whole first part was Morino Ibiki"

"Really? Great, thanks" The blonde said, before bounding out after his teammates.

'_Huh, have to remember that.'_

'She will not go un-rewarded for this advantage'

"Alright! Everyone follow your instructions and head to your gates, the exam will start in exactly thirty minutes" Anko called out.

As the teams wasted, various exchanges occurred amongst them.

XXXXX

"Yahoo!! This'll be a piece of cake! Hey, don't you go soft on us, kay Hinata-Chan?"

"H-hai"

"…"

XXXXX

"We gotta risk our lives? Mendoukusai…"

'_Best go for the weakest team…the team that will require the least effort to get their scroll…now which gate did Naruto's team go through?'_

XXXXX

"Alright! We won't lose-ttebayo! Lets Kick Ass!!"

XXXXX

'So…the time is finally here to fulfill our mission…hehehe'

XXXXX

'_The exam itself won't be easy…but to be with stuck with _him_ for five days straight? I hope there's no full moon during the test'_

XXXXX

"So first we'll go after the rookies"

"We're allowed to kill from here on…that makes things easier…"

XXXXX

'_Gai-Sensei! I'll do my best!!'_XXXXX

"The second test of the Chuunin exams…begins NOW!!!"

XXXXX

As the gates were opened, the Genin all swiftly disappeared into the undergrowth, intent on getting as far or as close to the other teams as quickly as possible, many taking to the treetops immediately. Team Seven on the other hand, stayed on the ground.

"So, Dobe, we've found your river…so why aren't we moving?" Sasuke demanded, grumbling as he filled up their water flasks.

"Because, your highness, if we go at full pelt, we'll be to tired to fight. We can also travel undetected if we're quiet, and finally, it's best to travel during the night when most of the forest's inhabitants are up and about, or rather, you don't want to be asleep when they're awake." Naruto said, walking from tree to tree and scuffing the leaves around their base.

"But what about the other teams? If we stand around, we'll be sitting ducks" Sakura pointed out, dumping a pile of firewood between the three of them.

"That's why we move undetected, we'll be more alert, and it gives us a chance to sneak up on others."

"I…well that is a good point, since when were you the type to think things through?"

"I just…think better when I'm surrounded by trees, Y'know" The orange-clad Genin shrugged, A few seconds later a loud scream suddenly echoed throughout the trees.

"Huh, looks like someone's stupid" He muttered, before crouching to the ground., his hands gripping the loose dirt beneath him.

"…What _are_ you doing?"

"I have a few friends in here, after all, Kyoujo-Nee-Chan only said no 'outside' help. Nothing about 'inside help'"

"'Kyoujo-Nee-Chan'? What the hell have you been-?"

/Kimagure Kori! Junjou Mugen calls out to you!!!/ As Naruto got up off the ground, he noticed his teammates looking at him funny.

"What? I got something on my face?" He asked, quickly wiping at his face in a vain attempt to clean it.

"No it's just…"

"You just crouched down and started coughing violently…"

"Eh? Hehe, you guys…I was contacting our ally"

"…"

"Right…"

A few moments passed as the group stood there…waiting…they were dimly aware of another scream somewhere in the distance.

"Stupid, lazy, tail-chasing, floppy-eared son of a-"

/KORI! HERE! NOW!/ Naruto barked. A few seconds later a certain red fox walked out from the undergrowth.

/What want?/

/Don't 'What want' me, what take so long?/

/…vixen…/

/Your vixen? or you just peeping again?/

/Not peeping! Just…watching/

"Look, now is not the time for your tale of 'tragic, unrequited love', pay attention!" Naruto scolded, forcing the fox to look at him, instead of a passing butterfly.

"Naruto…"

"Yeah?"

"…That's a fox"

"Yeah"

"…you're talking to a fox…"

"Yeah? We got a whole clan who talks to dogs and I can't talk to a fox?" He demanded, throwing his hands in the air.

"Well…no"

"Good, coz Kori here is gonna be lending us a paw or two" Naruto grinned, causing the fox to slink back in apprehension.

XXXXXXX

Tokubetsu Jounin- Special Elite Ninja, this is the rank given to those who are particularly skilled in certain abilities, tasks, or situations.

Kyoujo-madwoman

Ten-here it means 'Heaven'

Chi- here it means 'Earth'

Sugekasa- those straw, conical hats they wear. Kusa (Grass) Nin have been shown wearing them, along with Akatsuki.

Ossan-Uncle, can be used to refer to any middle-aged man.

A/N: Yeah…really short chapter, and after such a gap since my last chapter…I never was consistent…'sigh'. Oh well.


	23. The Jaws of Death Herself…Himself…Yeah…

Chapter 23

The Jaws of Death Herself…Himself…Yeah…

_The dark side of the cherry blossom is revealed. The fox encounters the snake, but the snake refuses to play, instead seeking the hawk. The fox is shaved, and the hawk is branded, leaving the cherry blossom to see for three. The snake invites the hawk to live in the snake's nest if he ever tires of the trees._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto felt good. Naruto felt happy. Naruto felt _alive. _Wind blowing through his hair, caressing his skin, black sky overhead, leaf litter underfoot.

/Where nearest prey?/ He yipped, scarcely glancing at the meter long fox by his side.

/This way, follow/ Grinning he sped after the fleeting Kitsune, his two teammates immediately behind him.

"So how did you meet this fox anyway?" Sakura asked, her head trying to wrap itself around the idea of Dr. Naruto Dolittle.

"Huh? Me and Kori here go way back, ever since I joined the academy. Why?"

"Well, its just odd for you to be able to…communicate so freely with…such a creature"

"Nah, hang around anything long enough and you'll learn how it talks. Hell, I hear Ino's dad argues with his flowers when business is slow"

'Caught him in the act more like it'

"Sad thing is, the flower was winning!" He laughed, grinning like a manic as he leapt tree to tree.

"You're kidding, right? Oh, I'll never let Ino hear the end of that one! But seriously, you don't see many foxes round these parts" She commented, glancing at the adult (technically) Kitsune.

"Foxes know how to hide, you don't see a fox unless he wanted you to see him" The blonde chortled, before spinning off a tree.

"Baka! Stop showing off!" She scolded.

'Hit a tree. Hit a tree. Hit a tree…'

"Aw, come on Sakura-Chan. It's be fun" He retorted, launching into a spinning back flip across the branches.

"Naruto!" Quickly catching up to him, she quickly rapped him across the skull with her fist.

"Itai! Why would you do that?"

"Stop being an idiot and focus, Baka"

"Fine…oh, we're here," he said suddenly, glancing around.

"Here? Where's 'here'? She asked, glancing around.

"Show yourself" Sasuke demanded, quickly drawing a kunai and taking a battle stance while Kori slunk off unnoticed.

"Hehehe, well looky here, looks like we got ourselves a couple of trembling-like-a-leaf Genin" A voice spoke from the undergrowth.

"Well aren't we lucky, and here I was thinking we'd have to actually try for part of the exam" A second voice spoke, female this time.

"Hurry up already, this humidity is irritating," A third voice, also female said.

"Hey, stop talking and come out!" Naruto yelled.

"Tch, loudmouth brat, isn't he?" The third voice said.

"Hey, a scrolls a scroll, not like we're just gonna leave coz he's irritating" The first voice said, stepping out from the vegetation. He looked to be about fifteen, with cropped brown hair, tanned pants, no shirt, and a gray collar around his neck.

"Fine, we'll play with the little kiddies then" The second voice said, revealing herself to be a thin looking girl with oily black hair, and an unflattering blue outfit.

"To fight so soon…is this good or bad?" The other girl asked. She was shorter than the other two, wore pale clothes and a pair of Shuko on her hands. All three wore Iwagakure hitai-ate.

Team Seven stared at the Iwa Genin nonplussed.

"So…Sasuke, you got the last group, so that means it's Sakura's turn to do the honors" Naruto said, a bored expression on his face.

The Shuko wearing girl frowned. "You…you're hair is irritating…. Like _his_…are you the son of that irritating man?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at the whiskered blonde.

"Huh? I'm sorry did you say something?" Naruto asked, scratching his nose with his finger. "Sakura, go ahead, these guys have less chakra than Konohamaru" He sighed, folding his hands behind his head.

"Well, if you say so" The Kunoichi said, before flashing through some hand seals.

"Whatever you're planning it won't-"

"Magen: Hakyoku no Uchinaru Sakura." As she announced the technique, the Iwa-Nin suddenly felt himself get overcome by an overwhelming sensation of solitude. _He couldn't see anything except for himself and Sakura. Everything else was pitch black. _

"_What…what is this technique?" _

"_Hey, how nice of you to join us" Sakura said chirpily. Seemingly unaffected by the change of surroundings._

"_You! You did something, what did you do!?" He demanded. "Who cares, I can still beat you, even like this!" He shouted, before running at her._

"_Tch, tch, tch," The pink haired girl chided, wagging her finger even as the shirtless male ran towards her. "Boo!" As she spoke, the ground suddenly began trembling violently._

"_Now what!?" He wailed, his feet stumbling on the invisible floor._

_His question was answered as the form of a giant colossus tore its way out of the ground, an enormous hand snatching him off the ground as it rose._

"_**SHANNARO!!" **__Inner-Sakura bellowed, a maniacal grin on her face._

"_Wh-wh-wh-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" The Genin screamed, struggling to escape from the clutch of Sakura's Id, an indescribable feeling of dread and horror clenching at his heart._

"_**Break! Break!" **__She cackled, as she began throttling the miniscule human in her hands._

"_AHHHHHH!!!" He screamed. He could hear all his bones breaking, yet his body mysteriously retained its shape._

"_**BREAK INTO A MILLION PIECES!!!" **__With that, the colossus opened her palm fully, before clenching it shut so hard it created a small shockwave. She opened her hand again and a small stream of dust flowed out from it like sand, the last echoes of a death scream fading along with it._

Sasuke and Naruto said nothing as the three Iwa-Nin suddenly seized up and collapsed, eyes rolled to the back of their head.

"…I'd… say that was harsh…but those guys really pissed me off" Naruto grumbled, his hunting mood ruined.

"Better them than us" The Uchiha commented, and was met by some reserved nodding. Both having been on the receiving end of Sakura's terrible technique during various training sessions. It was worse for Naruto, as when she did it to several clones at once they all dispelled and the memory was concentrated for each clone hit by the same Genjutsu. Both the boy's had agreed that the entity known as 'Inner-Sakura' was the second most terrifying thing they'd ever seen.

When Naruto had first been hit by the technique, he'd all but had a heart attack that a human was capable of creating such a malignant aura, even through a Genjutsu. It had taken a fair bit of prodding Tsuku, fifteen trips to the Konoha official Archives, and two trips to the bar but the Uzumaki had come to a startling, but undeniable conclusion.

Haruno Sakura was at least 1/16th demon, through her father's side. The blonde had no clue as to the nature of the demon sire, but he at least knew that every Haruno for the past five generations had varying shades of pink hair, and all had been reported as exhibiting varying schizophrenic and/or split personality disorders. It was no small feat then, for the Kyuubi heir to identify what the source was; an immature Oni-Zenshin, watered down though the generations to personify human desires, instead of demonic ones.

Not that he'd told anyone this of course, he doubted even the girl herself knew the nature and origins of the voice in her head, but he still gave hints towards it every now and then, such as jokingly referring to it as 'Oninaru Sakura' instead of 'Uchinaru Sakura' (as she had dubbed it), and the like.

"Waah, why is everyone so weak? I thought it was meant to be 'the cream of the crop' in the exam." Naruto wailed as he approached the unconscious Genin.

"I suppose Iwa aren't very good farmers then" Sasuke said, smirking.

"That or else Konoha just has really good cream, dattebayo" Naruto laughed, his hands idly fishing through the pockets and packs of Sakura's victims.

"Eww, that's gross" Sakura scolded, beating the blonde over the head with her fist.

"Ita-ii! Why must you keep hitting me??" He cried out rather pitifully.

"Because you keep saying such stupid things, now hurry up and find their scroll," She demanded, shaking her fist threateningly. The blonde shirked back in fear, only to have something catch his eye.

"Ah! Found it-ttebayo," He exclaimed fervently as he procured the scroll. "Lets see…Kuso! It's another heaven scroll!" he cursed.

"What? That's the third one tonight!" His pink-haired teammate exclaimed, throwing up her hands in exasperation.

"Stupid sons of…that's it, your getting the same treatment as the last ones!" The blonde snarled, before forming his hands into a certain seal.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" With a poof a single clone appeared by his side. Nodding to his creator, the clone stared at the scroll in his hand for a moment before forming some more seals.

"Katachi Koutai no Jutsu!" With another poof, the clone was replaced with an exact copy of the heaven scroll in the blonde's hand, down to the lettering on the seal.

"Stupid jerks, teach them to fail at being ninja, I'll teach them good" Naruto muttered darkly as he placed the faux scroll in the original's hiding place.

"Seriously, what kind of an idiot hides the scroll in his pouch? A half-baked deer wouldn't have any problems finding that!"

XXXXX

"Atchoo!" Shikamaru scowled as he wiped his nose, "Mendoukusai…who's talking about me?" He muttered.

"Hey, whose there?!" A voice called out, before long footsteps could be heard approaching his location.

'Kuso! That sneeze gave me away, curse the fool responsible for this!'

XXXXX

As the blonde walked he felt a slight tingling at the back of his nose.

"Hey Teme, you say something?" Naruto asked, absentmindedly scratching the side of his cheek.

"Tch, what would I have to say to an idiot like you?" The dark-haired youth replied off-handedly.

"Teme! Don't make me kick your ass!" he yelled, shaking his fist at the aloof Uchiha. Before Sasuke could retort, Sakura interrupted.

"Ano, where'd the fox go?" She asked, glancing around the clearing where they had stopped, some 100 meters away from their earlier assailants.

"Huh? That's odd, normally he's back by now…" The blonde wondered aloud. "Hang on, I'll check" He said, before forcing out a sneeze to clear his nose.

'_Let's see…bugs, dirt, dead body, dead body, birds, leaches, snake, there's some tigers a ways away, ah, there he is…wait, that's coming from one of the dens, why did he go there?' _Before he could ponder any further, he suddenly doubled over, gagging.

"N-Naruto! What's wrong?" Sakura asked, rushing to his side.

"Th-th-this smell! CHAKRA! TOO MUCH CHAKRA!!!!!" He wailed, clutching his face with his hands, in an attempt to block the overwhelming stench that infiltrated his senses.

"What are you-?" Before the Uchiha could finish, there was a sudden and violent burst of wind. The trees groaned under the force, and the group struggled to find footing in the increasingly loose dirt. Then all of a sudden, the gale ended, leaving Sakura and Sasuke coughing up dirt as they stood up, their legs trembling from the sudden exertion. As the dust cleared, it revealed the presence of three figures, the Genin team from Kusagakure.

"You guys can just play around over there, I'll take care of them myself". The middle one said, the androgyny from before. With a nod, the other two ninja vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Sakura, where's Naruto?" Sasuke asked, panting from the sudden adrenaline rush. Before she could reply the mysterious attacker spoke for her.

"Oh dear, it seems your little friend was unable to stand up to my attack, oh well, I've prepared a little welcoming part for when he wakes up in any case. Besides, if I where you I'd be more concerned about my own life right now, kukukukuku" The person laughed, before removing their kasa, casting it to the wind.

'_This person, definitely different to the others…this could…no, this _will_ be dangerous'_

XXXX

'_It's dark…'_

XXXX

"You want my 'Earth' scroll, correct? After all, you already have a 'heaven' scroll" The Nin said, raising the scroll to a mouth that seemed a bit too wide.

'_What is-'_ Without a moments hesitation, the scroll was forced down the unnatural mouth, and, after a few bizarre throat undulations, disappeared from sight, a slight trickle of saliva down the side of the mouth the only evidence of what just happened.

'_What the hell!?'_

'_Is …is that thing before us…is it…even human?'_

"Now let us begin shall we…this fight, at which even our lives are at stake" At that the 'creature' reached up and tugged on its lower eye-lid, revealing a sickly looking yellow orb, a black, slit pupil seemingly floating in the center, and as soon as that gruesome eyeball was revealed, the entire area knew fear.

_Blood spatteredKILLblades pierced_KILL_organs torn_KILL_limbs wrenched_KILL_flesh mauled_KILL_bones broken_KILL_innescapable death_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_KILL_kill_YouWILLDie

'_G-g-genjutsu?? N-no…that was nothing but Killing Intent'_ Sasuke trembled as his senses returning to him, he was dimly aware of the distinct taste of copper, lingering in his mouth. His now sweat-soaked clothes clinging to him in the cold, night air.

XXXX

'_I can feel…death…'_

XXXX

'_It's like Sakura's Jutsu…but a thousand times worse, is that…is that what it feels like to face down a god?' _Doubling over the normally proud Uchiha unceremoniously dumped the day's meals onto the ground.

"Sakura…" Sasuke began, but stopped when he saw the state the Kunoichi was in; tears flowing freely from unseeing eyes, her whole body was trembling uncontrollably, and she didn't look to be recovering any time soon.

'_This…this is bad…we must run! Otherwise,…otherwise we will surely die!'_

"Hehe, you can't move anymore, can you?" The '_demon' _taunted, pulling out a pair of kunai and taking aim.

'_J-just a little bit…I…I HAVE TO MOVE!' _His hands shaking uncontrollable, the Uchiha struggled to draw a kunai of his own out from his pouch.

XXXX

'_It's…all over this place…'_

XXXX

As the kunai were let lose, Sasuke suddenly moved; Sharingan blazing, he quickly leaped out of the way, grabbing Sakura as he went. The Kunai hit the tree where he had stood earlier with a harmless 'thunk'.

Sasuke panted as he sat, bracing himself he gripped the kunai in his leg and yanked, tearing it out with a barely muffled gasp.

'_To overload fear with pain, he truly is no ordinary prey'_

XXXX

'_Death…I feel…I can't help but…I need to…' _There was a sodden tearing noise, an enormous brown snake let out a hiss of pain, before collapsing, its head landing a good five meters away from its tail. Between the two stood a crouched figure, drenched in blood, an enormous sword held in a single, clawed hand. It reared its head and released a sound, a dark, bellowing laughter. Returning the sword from whence it came, the Kyuubi heir swiftly made his way to his companions, an almost full moon hanging overhead.

XXXX

As Sakura stirred, she was greeted by the sight of the Uchiha slumped over before her.

"Sasuke-Kun, are you al-mmpphh" Her inquiry was cut off by his hand against her mouth, his eyes telling to shut up.

'_We have to run! Before we're found again. But how?'_ Before he could formulate a plan, Sakura forcefully pried his hand away from her mouth.

"Sasuke-Kun, snake!!" Turning to see a huge, brown snake behind them, Sasuke wasted no time in leaping away.

'_Was I really that distracted as to not notice _that_?'_

Wrapping itself round the tree trunk, the snake let out a hiss before leaping at the Uchiha. As it approached, He couldn't help but notice just how similar the snakes eyes where to that yellow eye that had induce so much terror earlier.

"G-g-g-GET AWAY!!!" He screamed, before impeding a dozen shuriken into the snake's skull, killing it instantly.

Panting as he landed, he leaned up against a tree trunk, trying to recover his breath. Before he could do so, however, the dead snakes neck suddenly started bulging, cracks forming along its scales as the assailant from earlier burst out from within. Snake juice staining its otherwise spotless clothes.

"You don't have time to relax, not even for a second. Prey should _always_ be trying their best to run away, when faced with a predator that is" Giving a lopsided grin, the fiend's body started to stretch and contort, winding its way up the tree like the now-dead snake had done.

'_NO! We really are…'_

The man-snakes ascend was suddenly halted by a volley of shuriken, a few to many of them grazing it's skin than it would have like.

"Hebi-Oban," Naruto snarled from a tree branch, his posture crouched, preparing to pounce. "To conceal so much chakra so effectively, you overwhelmed me for a moment back there,"

"Hehe, I see you were able to defeat that snake, Naruto-Kun" The snake charmer chuckled

'_Naruto? Tch, that fool really think he can take this _'thing'_ on? Against a foe like this, it's useless._

"Addressing me so familiarly, will you at least declare the name that you're going by?" He demanded, flexing his fingers threateningly.

"Now where are my manners? They call me…Orochimaru," The snake-Nin declared, arms held wide at 'his' sides.

"So you really are a man…funny you smelt female to me" The blonde leered, grinning.

'_This is bad, at this rate all three of us will get killed…looks like there's no other way'_ Reaching into his pouch, the Uchiha de-activated his Sharingan, eliciting a gasp from his teammates, before pulling out his 'Heaven' scroll.

"I will give you our scroll, please, take it and leave"

"TEME YOU COWARD!! Are you giving up??!" The blonde demanded. The snake-Nin just smirked.

"I see, tempting the prey with an alternative meal, very smart," 'He' said, as 'he' pulled himself up off the branch.

"Take it!!" Sasuke shouted, hurling the scroll at their assailant. Just before the scroll reached its target, there was blur of motion, followed by a loud 'poof', as the scroll was replaced with a clone of Naruto.

"HWAAARR!!!" Letting out a battle cry, the clone was quickly dispatched with a kunai to the neck. The real Naruto stood in front of Sasuke, his eyes downcast.

"Teme, never noticed I switched the scrolls…" The blonde chuckled darkly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!!? Don't you understand the situation?!?" The Uchiha demanded in outrage. Snarling, the blonde drew back his arm and smashed Sasuke in the face with his fist, sending him staggering.

"No, YOU don't understand the situation. I couldn't care less about the scrolls…but for to commit such a shameless act of cowardliness, whatever happened to your 'Uchiha pride'?"

"You…Usuratonkatchi! What's pride compared to our lives?" Sasuke demanded.

"I'd rather die in battle, with my pride intact, than die a coward with no shame! This person…this person will never let us go if we run, stalling pointless as all three of us need to stay alive to pass the test, there's no other goal that we have to achieve. If this were a mission would you run away then? If you run away now, then as far as I'm concerned Uchiha Sasuke will have died, regardless of the outcome" Naruto hissed coldly.

"Kukuku, correct. Why bargain when I can just kill you and take the scroll now?" Orochimaru laughed, pulling up his sleeve to reveal an odd tattoo on his arm, smearing a trail of blood along it.

"Urusai!!" Naruto yelled, charging at the snake-Nin in attack.

"Naruto, no! Run!" Sasuke cried out pleadingly.

"URUSAI!!!"

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" At his call, a colossal snake appeared, barreling down towards the blonde.

"Kuso!!" With a lash of its tail, Naruto was sent flying into the air, crashing through wood and branches in his path, before slamming into a tree trunk.

"Naruto!!"

"Naruto!"

"Kukuku, go ahead and eat him" As the blonde fell, the snake moved beneath him, opening its mouth wide in anticipation.

"**YOUR'E FOX FOOD!!" **He yelled, summoning Keiri, bringing the Zanbatou down against the giant reptiles head, cleaving it in twain.

'_So, he's only capable of using that much of his power, pathetic'_

'_Th-that's Zabuza's…but why does Naruto have it?'_

'_This feeling…it's the same as that day on the bridge…Kakashi-sensei said that Naruto had gone berserk…is this the power of madness?'_

As the snake fell and vanished, Orochimaru formed some seals.

"Katon: Karyuendan!!" Breathing deeply, the snake-Nin spewed out a plume of red-hot flame, engulfing the blond.

"Naruto!" There was a brief flash of red, and the fire was swept away by large, red tail, then, just as quickly it vanished.

"Kukukukuhahahah! This is fun!" Orochimaru laughed, leaping down after the blonde.

"Just look at you, just twelve years ago you where the most powerful force on the planet, what are you know? A useless brat trying to be a ninja!" As the smoke cleared, Naruto stood there, Keiri no longer in his hands.

"**I'm not the same…then and now are two different beings!!" **he yelled, lashing out at the snake-Nin with his claws. Smirking, Orochimaru swerved out of the way, and grabbed the fox-boy by the neck, slamming him up against a tree.

"Liar, you know as well as I do that nothing changes, you've lost your power and now you're forced to wait until it returns. I'm surprised you haven't died already. What is it like to walk amongst the world of mortals? To feel hunger, need sleep, denied everything that once came with your former glory?" His voice but a whisper, Orochimaru's gripped tightened, his nails digging into flesh.

"**You…I think I know why…you're after those red eyes, aren't you?" **Naruto smirked, his slit eyes staring into Orochimaru's own. Frowning, the snake-Nin flared his killing intent to its full height, focusing it all on the blond in his hands.

"**You suck" **Naruto grinned cheekily, showing off his fangs, not the slightest bit discomforted by the bloodlust exhibited by his captor.

"Fine then, if you think yourself so powerful still, I will deprive you of your power!" Transferring his grip to his tongue, Orochimaru formed some seals, all at once malevolent, purple chakra flared up around the snake-Nin, before becoming focused to the fingers on his right hand, his left hand moving to lift up the blonde's jacket, revealing the seal beneath it.

"Gogyo Fuin!" As he jabbed his fingers into the seal, Naruto let out a cry of pain, all the Youki in his system fading away.

'_Kuso! I…can't feel…my tail' _Snarling feebly, Naruto's hands shot out from his sides, gripping Orochimaru around the neck.

"Impudent brat!" Cursing, Orochimaru grabbed the blonde and hurled him into a nearby tree, causing him to cough up blood.

"Naruto!" Wasting no time, the Kunoichi quickly hurled a kunai, it's blade effectively pinning Naruto to a tree by the collar.

"Sasuke-kun!" She called, only to see that the dark-haired youth was still unmoving as when the fight began.

"You…Naruto was right! You really are a coward!!" She screamed, her words echoing into the Uchiha's mind, conjuring up old memories.

'_Foolish Brother, if you want to kill me, then hate me! Spite me! Live in an unsightly manner! Run,…run away and cling desperately to life'_

"Gaah! Magen: Hakyoku no Uchinaru Sakura!!" The Kunoichi yelled, attacking with her signature technique. Orochimaru smirked, before releasing his chakra in a torrential outburst.

"My what an impressive Genjutsu for someone your age, but it will take more than that if you want to live"

'…_unsightly…cling…life…kill your-'_

"NO!!" He exclaimed, his Sharingan blazing.

'_Now show me, show the power that flows in your veins'_

Reaching into his pack, Sasuke pulled out a Fuuma shuriken, and a handful of kunai. Leaping into the air, he hurled the kunai, Orochimaru narrowly dodging them as he slithered up the tree. Swinging around on a tree branch, he hurled the Fuuma shuriken, Orochimaru jumping to avoid it.

'_Now!' _Hurling his last kunai, Orochimaru swerved to avoid it, the blade narrowly missing his neck.

"I got you!" Clenching his fists, Sasuke pulled back, causing both the kunai and the shuriken he'd launched to spin around as they reached the ends of the wire attacked to them.

"Sharingan Soufuusha Sannotachi"

'To predict my possible movements, and trap me accordingly, impressive but…!'

"Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!" Orochimaru's eyes widened as a stream of fire speed down the wire, only to be engulfed by the swift flames.

"To use the Sharingan so well at such a young age…you truly are the Scion of the Sharingan. Just as I thought…I want you" He smiled, even as the skin on his face peeled off, revealing an eye decorated by purple makeup beneath. He reached up and placed his hand over his Hitai-ate, when he had removed it it showed not the symbol for Kusa, but instead for Otokagure.

"You really are brothers…I sense in your eyes the power that exceeds Itachi's"

"You…Who the hell are you!?" Sasuke demanded.

"At one point I worked with your brother, but we soon split ways. If you want to see him again, then survive, and pass this exam" Orochimaru declared ominously, before forming a seal.

"Why would we ever want to see your ugly face again?!" Sakura demanded.

"Because…I can give him what he needs…Sasuke…I can give you the power to kill Itachi…"

"!"

"I'll give you a taste of what I offer" Grinning, Orochimaru's neck suddenly stretched out, his mouth opening to reveal a pair of snake-like fangs.

"Juin Jutsu" Once his head was parallel with Sasuke's, the snake Nin bit down, his fangs puncturing into Sasuke's neck, before pulling out. Leaving two small, sizzling holes where he'd bitten. As his neck withdrew, the bite-mark faded, only to be replaced with three black tomoe, forming a circle, causing Sasuke to double over in pain.

"AAAH!! What is this??" He cried, pain wracking his body from the inside.

"He will seek me…to gain more power…" Orochimaru laughed as he melted into the ground

"AAAAAAH!!"

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried out, just as a certain red fox made his re-appearance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shuko- a type of (sometime fingerless) gloves, with sharp protrusions just below the base of the fingers, akin to metal studs.

Uchinaru Sakura- Uchi translates to 'inner' while Naru refers to spoken sounds. Direct translation is 'inner voice Sakura'

Oninaru Sakura- a pun on Uchinaru Sakura, Oni is a Japanese ogre/demon, so this translates to 'bellowing demon Sakura'

Hebi-snake \

Therefore: bitchy old snake hag

Oban-bitchy old hag /

Karyuendan- fire dragon round-shot (bullet)

Gogyo Fuin- five elements seal

Sharingan Soufuusha Sannotachi- copy-wheel eye triple windmill blades

Ryuuka- fire dragon

Juin Jutsu- combination of 'jubaku' (spell or curse) and 'fuin' (seal) basically 'curse seal technique'

Iwa-rock

Oto-sound


	24. Demon Within, Demon Without

Chapter 24

Demon Within, Demon Without

_The fox frees the snake's daughter, and regains lost hair. The hawk's beak proves sharpened, while the cherry blossom tries not to flutter in the wind. Many leaves congregate together, but soon are scattered once more. _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was…cold. That was the first thing Naruto was aware of. Not just cold in that it wasn't hot, however, instead it was a very distinct sensation that it _should _be hot. The very absence of nigh unbearable heat just made it all the more colder.

'_Wh-what happened? I remember…I was fighting Hebi-Oban…then…oh yeah…'_He let out a grumble as a drop of water fell, 'plinking' between his eyes.

'_Stupid leak…' _As he sat up he let out another groan, having discovered the now drenched state of his clothing.

"It can't be normal for it to be this wet in here" Sighing, he stood up. Taking a moment to dust himself off, he looked around.

"Yup…here again" He muttered unenthusiastically.

"Great, it won't be a full moon for a few more days, so Tsuku-Sama's asleep…why am I here? Ah well, standing around isn't gonna get me anywhere"

'splish'

'splish'

'splish'

As he walked through the sewers of his mind and soul, he couldn't help but notice that something was amiss. After a few moments consideration, he realized what it was.

"Those pipes…normally they glow red…is this the effect of that seal?" He pondered aloud, his foot scuffing the wet pathway beneath him. Pausing, he formed a seal, and began concentrating.

'_Blue,…blue,…blue,…blue,…Kuso! Where is it? Blue,…blue,…blue,…blue…its all blue!' _Cursing, he flicked his tail in irritation…except, he didn't.

'_That's right, when I got hit by the seal, by tail went away…it must have been a demon seal of some kind…lets see…ah, there it is!'_ The moment he sensed the Gogyo Fuin, his surroundings suddenly changed; he was still in his mindscape, however now he found himself trapped inside a cage, his tail pinned down behind him by heavy iron chains, held in place by five dark looking bolts.

"So this is the snake-spawn's seal…Kuso! This is way to advanced for me to work out!" He cursed, his tail twitching slightly under its constraints.

His eyes suddenly lit up. "Hang on!" He exclaimed, excitedly. "If I can feel my tail from here, I should be able to bust out of here!" Grinning he reformed the hand seal, and began channeling Youki.

"Kuso! I can…barley even touch it" he grunted through clenched teeth. A faint wisp of red trailed up around him.

"Come on! Come on!! Break damn you!!!" As his tail struggled violently, the bolts holding it down slowly started to jiggle, creating an off jingle sound as they protested against the increasing pressure.

"More! More!! More!!!" The bolts were glowing red by this point, a near-constant stream of Youki escaping from the seal and into the blonde.

"Almost…almost!" As the fox-boy struggled to pull out more of the demonic essence, the chains suddenly went taut, and the Youki started to fade.

"NO! Come on! Almost…need…more…**POWER!!"** With an almighty cry, the red chakra suddenly picked up, swirling around the blonde in an unwholesome torrent. As the chains rattled, and groaned, cracks began forming along the bolts, spreading up the chains and through the cage.

"**GRRRRAAAHAAA!!!!"** The torrent died down for a moment, the cracks splitting and branching out along the seal, only for the whole thing to shatter around him, releasing all the pent up Youki in his system. A wave of red washed down the sewer, casting an eerie glow as it raced along the trails of Naruto's mind, spreading out to his body, and back again. The result was…mind boggling for the blonde, to say the least.

'_I…I can see it…I can see everything!' _For a brief moment, everything within the forest was available to him, he could pinpoint every fallen leaf, every animal, living or dead, he could sense Hinata, waiting at the center of the forest, along with the Shukaku. He could sense the team from Oto, disturbingly close to one of his dens. And he could sense…

'Kyoujo-Nee-Chan?' He could feel her very presence, her exact location relative to himself, but she was not alone.

"_Kukukuku, just who are you trying to kill with that?"_

'_Orochimaru!'_

The blood was swirling inside her, mixing with her own, their essences combining.

XXX

"_Hey, Orochimaru-Sensei! Check it out! I got it!" An excited young girl proclaimed, showing off the snakes that now dwelt beneath her clothes. A Silhouette stands before her, a slight curving of the mouth his only sign of approval._

"_Hey…Orochimaru-Sensei…did I…do well?" The same girl, now somewhat older; her hands soaked in blood that was not her own, the silhouette chuckles, licking his lips._

"_Orochimaru-Sensei…I…I'm ready" The girl, now practically a woman. Her clothes slid off like a snake shedding its skin. The silhouette laughs, its long tongue trailing along bare flesh._

"_O-Orochimaru-Sensei! What,…what is this?" The young woman asked, visions of horror dancing before her eyes._

"_Cute little Anko-Chan…do you trust me?"_

"_Hai, Orochimaru-Sensei" The silhouette smirks, revealing a pair of glistening fangs._

"_Why? Why? Why?!" The young woman cried out, the silhouette closes a door, the sound of a lock can be heard. The young woman is left on the ground, writhing in pain. Her eyes change, and the flame goes out._

"_Cute little Anko-Chan…will you join me?' The silhouette asks, its hand extended. But the fire has died, and without its light she can see past the shadows, see the snake before her that stands as though a man. Trembling, she backs away into the corner. The snake frowns, a look of disappointment flickers for a second, only to be replaced by cool anger._

"_So be it. I have no use for you anymore"_

XXX

Naruto looked on in wonder as the scenes played out before him, brief snapshots into the life of a woman he scarcely knew. He could feel his blood churning in response to hers; he knew what had to be done.

XXX

"Why are you here? Have you come to assassinate Hokage-Sama?" Anko demanded, her eyes showing not a shred of empathy for her former Sensei.

"Kukuku, no, I lack the men for that, think of this as something of a 'recruitment drive' if you will" Orochimaru laughed, causing Anko's eyes to widen.

"What did you-?"

"I just gave one of those kids a Curse Seal, that kid…he's special"

"Bah, that kid's going to die" She scoffed, her eyes darting about as she tried to formulate a plan of attack.

"The odds of survival are 1/10…Perhaps he will live, just like you did"

"Heh, you must really like this kid" Anko said, trying desperately not to show the fear that dwelled in her heart.

"Jealous are we? Are you still upset that I threw you away? Kukuku"

"You-!"

"Unlike you, he has talent, and he's quite beautiful, the perfect candidate to be my successor." As Orochimaru grinned, the curse seal on Anko's neck suddenly flared, forcing her to her knees in pain.

"This exam should get very interesting if he should survive…and don't try to stop the exam, if you do then this pathetic little village is finished." Orochimaru laughed, before turning to walk away. Just as he brought his hands together, time seemed to slow down, until everything was frozen, All but Anko.

"_Is this your resolve? How weak." _Anko's eyes widened as she heard a new voice. One that sounded eerily familiar to her.

"Urusai! This mark…I can't do anything!" She protested, her hand clasping the seal that adorned her neck.

"_No…the mark has nothing to do with this. He is someone who swore to watch over you, but left you behind. Are you really okay with that?"_

"But he's Orochimaru, of the Densetsu no Sannin. What can I do against him?"

"_What do you want to do to him? Is his name alone enough to defeat you? Are you truly such a sniveling reptile that you are to afraid to even raise your own head?"_

"That is-!"

"_Do you hate him?"_

"…yes"

"_Does you're hate rival the love you once felt for him?"_

"…Yes"

"_Are you forever going to cower in the silhouette _of a snake?"

"No"

"Let him burn beneath your ire"

"Yes"

As Anko slowly rose to her feet, the seal on her neck pulsed, causing her to stumble.

"_Do not fear, it is a part of you, it is your crutch" _As the voice spoke, she was suddenly aware of a figure standing next to her, supporting her weight in its shoulder.

"Do not be afraid to rely on others, 'kay?" Naruto grinned, cheekily, before vanishing in a puff of smoke. The sound of the clone's dispel drawing Orochimaru's attention as time sped back up again.

"Oh? You can still stand? What good will it do you against me?"

"EVERYTHING!!" She yelled. As she flashed through some hand seals, she was only dimly aware of the burning sensation that was now spreading throughout her body. The curse seal had awakened.

"Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!" a stream of blazing hot fire spewed out from her mouth, almost purple from the tainted chakra now flowing through her body, forcing the snake Sannin to Kawarimi to avoid it, the trees behind him bursting into flames.

"You activated the curse seal? How strange…" He was unable to continue his speculation, however, as Anko appeared behind him, driving a kunai through his neck, only to reveal it had been a mud clone.

"**Show yourself!" **She demanded, her eyes flicker from brown to yellow as the curse seal spread, made all the more eerie by the shimmering flames that surrounded her.

When the snake-Nin failed to make a move after several minutes, she fell to her knees.

"**That Bast**ard, it was probably a damn mud clone the whole time. He'll be long gone by now" She cursed, the curse seal receding to its dormant state.

"I'd better deal with this fire…Doton: Doryu Taiga" As she finished the seals, a river of mud erupted out from the ground beneath her, dousing the flames.

"…I'd better report this to Hokage-Sama" She muttered, before darting off through the woods.

'_But why did my curse seal activate after so many years of remaining dormant? What changed?'_

XXXXXXXXXXX

'Who is it?' 'Kaa-san and Tou-san didn't have to die' 'The old me?'

'_**In the end, if you don't have strength, you can't do anything…because you didn't have strength…the whole clan was wiped out, everyone was killed No…you,…you let them die. All you did was watch. If only you had strength…'**_

XXXXXXXXXXX

When Naruto awoke he was painfully aware of just how much damage breaking the seal had done to him. All his muscles ached, and he doubted he would even be able to mould chakra after his last stunt.

'_But still…the amount of Youki needed to break the seal…I didn't even know I had that much!'_

Groaning, he dragged himself to his feet, wincing the whole time. Glancing around, he saw that he was in one of his secondary dens. He also noticed that there was a med kit lying open next to him.

"Hey! Who's been going through my stuff!" He cursed angrily.

/Mugen! Friend…different. Is demon!/ Kori yipped, darting into the hole.

/Demon?/ Naruto asked, eyes widened.

'What Orochimaru said…he really did give Sasuke a curse seal'

Wasting no time, Naruto darted out from the whole, and was surprised by what he saw. Zaku and Dosu from Oto had them trapped in the clearing. Kin of Oto and Rock Lee were both lying unconscious on the ground, Sakura was badly wounded, Team Ten was injured, but still standing, and what were presumably the remaining members of Team Gai were watching from an alcove. But that wasn't the real point of interest; the real interesting bit was the Uchiha. Malevolent, purple chakra swirling around him, and his entire left hand side covered by the black flame marks of his curse seal.

"Ah…Naruto…you're also awake" Sasuke said, not even bothering to look at his other teammate, his eyes instead focused straight ahead.

'He seems a lot calmer than Kyoujo-Nee-Chan was…' Naruto thought to himself.

"Sa**ku**ra…who,…who **did** this to **you**?" The Uchiha all but demanded.

"S-Sasuke-kun!" Sakura gasped, mesmerized by the purple haze surrounding her teammate.

"**Who?" **He asked again, more impatiently this time.

"We did" Zaku said smugly.

"Sasuke-kun…your body…" Sakura began, unsure of how to broach the subject.

"**It's okay, I feel…power…flowing though me…I feel…great**," He said, staring at his arms with his Sharingan.

"He gave it too me. I understand now…I am an avenger. Even if I must eat the devil's fruit, I am on a path where I must gain power."

"Th-this is bad, Ino, Chouji, lets fall back" Shikamaru ordered, backing away behind the unstable Uchiha.

"**It was you guys, right?"** Sasuke said accusingly. As his eyes narrowed, the curse seal glowed, spreading further down his body. Dosu gasped as the purple chakra flared, the same purple chakra that Orochimaru wielded.

"Pfft, Dosu you coward, the guy's half dead. I'll kill him in one shot. Zankyokukuuha!!" Zaku yelled, blasting the Uchiha with both his wind cannons. As the dust cleared, the sound-nin grinned at the ditch his attack had gouged out.

"Heh, blew him away" he smirked triumphantly.

"**Blew who away**?" Sasuke asked from behind him, his two wounded teammates having been carried to safety also.

'So fast! And carrying the other two!'

With a single backhand, the Uchiha send Zaku sprawling across the ground, before flipping into some hand seals.

"Katon: Housenka!" Taking a deep breath, Sasuke spat out a volley of fireballs at the wind-user.

"Bah, I'll blast them! Zankuuha!" Zaku yelled, shooting the fireballs with his cannons, only to reveal the shuriken hidden inside.

"What-?" As he moved his arms to block, a shadow suddenly passed by him faster than the eye could see.

"Zaku! Below!" Dosu warned, too late to stop his teammates arms from being grabbed by the swift Uchiha.

"**You seem proud of your arms**" Sasuke grinned, maniacally, gripping Zaku's limbs in a reverse hold.

'_Sasuke-kun…he's…completely different to how he was before…what happened to you?' _Sakura wondered as Sasuke placed his foot on Zaku's back, causing the sound Nin's eyes to widen with fear.

"W-!!!" There was a painfully audible snap as the Uchiha pulled, dislocating both the Genin's arms in one go, causing him to pass out from the sudden pain.

'_This…'_

"**Looks like it's just you now…**" Sasuke said, turning to face Dosu. "I do hope you're a bit more fun"

'_This isn't…'_

Sasuke grinned as he approached the now shaking Oto-Nin, his fingers twitching towards his kunai pouch.

'_This isn't Sasuke-kun at all!!'_

"Please, stop!!" Sakura cried out pleadingly, embracing the Uchiha from behind, her eyes moist with tears. Sasuke stiffened from the sudden contact.

"That's…that's enough." She begged, sobbing.

"…why?" He asked, even as the curse seal receded, only to collapse as it returned to its dormant state.

'_Wow…I didn't think Sakura-Chan had that much influence over the Teme…' _Naruto thought, even as he struggled to remain conscious.

"You people are strong" Dosu said, suddenly.

"Huh?"

"We cannot beat you here, so please, take this" He said, placing his team's scroll on the ground.

"I must apologize, but there is something we must find out. I assure that, should we meet again, then we will neither run nor hide" The fur-wearing Genin said, picking up his fallen comrades and leaving.

XX

As the three Konoha teams prepared to split ways, Naruto suddenly stopped them.

"Hey, guys, wait up"

"Tch, Mendoukusai, what is it?" Shikamaru drawled.

"Well look, its like this and all, but, well, thanks for helping us out back there. We were in a real fix-ttebayo." The blonde nodded vigorously.

"Tch, not helping you would just be troublesome"

"Yosh! We of the Leaf should never hesitate to help a comrade!" Lee exclaimed exuberantly, only to be smacked in the head by Tenten.

"Lee, it's too early in the morning for your 'youthful attitude'" The Chinese girl sighed.

"Aha, gomennesai…"

'…_the similarities between those two, me and Sakura-Chan are too scary…'_

"Right, exactly! We got to stick together, so anyhow, since we got extra's, if you need them you can have these" Naruto said, offering the two teams each of their spare heaven scrolls."

"Mendoukusai…we already have a heaven scroll" Shikamaru cursed.

'_Damn, it would a have saved us a lot of effort…'_

"Man…that's too bad" Chouji muttered, before reaching for a bag of chips.

"Ah…well…what about you guys?" Naruto asked, turning to Team Gai.

"We do not need your charity" Neji said harshly. "Come, we're leaving" He ordered his teammates, turning to leave.

"_Here, take it anyway, just in case" _Naruto whispered to Lee, who nodded understandingly.

"Yosh! We're off then! I wish you could luck on the rest of the exam, Naruto-kun."

"Yeah, you too, Geji-Mayu" Naruto grinned, before returning to his own team.

XXXX

Some time later, Team Seven was heading towards the tower.

"Haah…it's a good thing that Dosu guy happened to have an Earth scroll" Naruto laughed, Kori yipping in agreement by his side.

/So where do you keep running off to?/ Naruto growled beneath his breath.

/Kori bad fighter against humans, only get in your way/

/You say that…/

"So, Teme, how's the hickey?" Naruto asked bluntly, earning him a thump on the head from Sakura.

"Baka! You don't just ask things like that!"

"…It…stings occasionally" Sasuke said, ignoring the indignant description.

"Huh…the things probably still grafting itself into your chakra pathways…you probably shouldn't mould any chakra until the stinging stops" The blonde said, earning him an odd look from both of them.

"What?"

"Um…how do you know so much about it?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"More importantly, exactly what is this thing? And what does it do?" Sasuke demanded hotly.

"Ah…well…that is…"

'_Kuso…wait, what was it Tsuku said once? Lies that make the truth more believable?'_

"I…I got a seal kinda like that one…" He offered, pointing to his navel. "Remember when I fought Orochimaru, I was using it then"

'_See, technically I'm not lying"_

"…Who,…who put it there?" Sakura asked.

"I…I've had it since I was born…my…well my father put it on me…"

"Your father? I thought you where an orphan"

"Yeah, it was the last thing he did, then 'blip' Kyuubi killed him."

"That's…"

"But you wanna know what it does right? Well once its properly 'seeded' you could call it, basically it'll have formed a secondary chakra network, except this stuff's different to usual chakra, some would call it evil, I just like to think of it as more potent. You can do more with a finger full of that stuff than a whole handful of normal chakra so to speak. Course, it's a hellava lot harder to mould into Jutsu and the like, but just channeling it's enough to make you a bunch stronger and stuff."

"But then…why did Sasuke-kun…"

"Go nuts? He just wasn't used to it, it'll make you more aggressive and stuff…did you hear any voices?" The blonde asked, scratching his head absentmindedly.

"…There was a voice…at first I thought it was me…but it spoke like Orochimaru did"

"Yeah…that's called an Oni-Zenshin, it'll tell you to do stuff that you want to do, even if you wouldn't normally"

"Wait…. do you have this 'Oni-Zenshin' thing?" Sakura asked.

"Oh for sure, after a while you learn when to ignore it. I should warn you, it'll tell you to kill people a lot"

"You what?"

"Course, mostly that's just your natural desire for revenge, so you don't have to kill them to shut it up, just what you think is sufficient pay-back, you know?"

"…I…think I get it…its like your id, right?" Sakura offered.

"Id? What the hell?"

"In psychology, your thoughts are separated into three categories, your Ego, which is your surface thoughts, your Superego, which is your subconscious thoughts, which you are mostly unaware of, except in dreams, and then there's the Id, which is your 'spur of the moment' urges" The Kunoichi explained.

'_I see…so what I heard…was my own regret…'_

"Yeah, that sounds about right, " Naruto said, before suddenly clasping his hands together. "I just realized!"

"What?"

"With this, now our entire team is officially mental!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, know me and Sasuke both have Oni-Zenshin, and you got your Oninaru Sakura"

"That's Uchinaru Sakura"

'_**Shannaro! Get it right!'**_

"That means all three of us hear voices in our heads!" Naruto exclaimed proudly.

"You say that like it's a good thing"

"I don't suppose I can take it off, can I?" Sasuke asked.

"Nah, most decent seals last a life-time. You could get it sealed off, but eventually it'll just build up enough chakra to overwhelm the seal…"

"Wait, didn't Orochimaru seal up yours Naruto?"

"Yeah, why do you think I'm so banged up?" The blonde asked, letting his arm droop for emphasis. "Of course, I like the voices in my head so I forced the thing open, but it hurt like hell!"

"…I get it, don't seal the thing up"

"Oh yeah, one more thing" Naruto said, his voice suddenly sober.

"What?"

"Two things actually, the first is that, even after the seals ready, you should avoid using it in actual combat until your used to using it. Otherwise, you might lose control like you did today…or worse"

"Worse? How does it get worse?" Sakura asked.

"Haku…I drove my fist straight through his chest in a fit of rage" The blonde said somberly, causing the other two to stiffen at the memory of the ice-Nin's corpse. "And once, just after I started at the academy, I was mere seconds away from eating a man alive. Even then I almost didn't stop in time to prevent me eating him dead."

"…I see…"

"These seals…they're so scary…"

"All power comes at a price…whether your willing to pay it or not. That brings me to the other thing"

"What other thing?"

"Try to keep it from Kakashi-sensei, and never use it in front of him, or any other jounin unless it's a life or death situation. The source of this chakra…well, how do you think they'll react to you using something given to you by that guy?"

"He didn't seem to be an ally of Konoha…point taken, but…who was he?"

"All I managed to find out was that he's called 'Orochimaru, of the Densetsu no Sannin'" Naruto explained.

"The Sannin?" Sakura gasped.

"You know them"

"We briefly covered them in the academy, they're said to have been the three most powerful ninja in the history of Konoha, excluding the Hokage's."

"Humph, can't have been all that great, he didn't put up that good of a fight against either of us" Sasuke smirked.

"Teme! He was holding back the whole time, he could have killed us at any moment, we're just lucky he only wanted to give you a love bite." Naruto scowled at the Uchiha.

"Tch"

'_But still…how on earth did a so-called 'human' perform a Bijuu marking technique? It shouldn't be possible without at least a full tail's worth of Youki…and why did he mark Sasuke in the first place? What's that snake planning?'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hebi-Oban –cranky old snake lady

Gogyo Fuin- five elements seal

Shukaku- the demon in Gaara

Oto- sound

Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu- Fire Release: Art of the Fire Dragon

Doton: Doryu Taiga- Earth Release: Earth Style Wall

Densetsu no Sannin- Legendary Three Ninja

Kyoujo- madwoman

Nee-Chan- sister/ term of endearment

Zankuuha- decapitating air waves

Zankyokukuuha- extreme decapitating air waves

Katon: Housenka- Fire Release: Mystical Fire Phoenix

Oni-Zenshin- demonic conscience

Oninaru Sakura- Bellowing Demon Sakura

Uchinaru Sakura- Inner Voice Sakura


	25. An Illusion of War pt1 pt2 & pt3

Chapter 25

An Illusion of War pt1 pt2 & pt3

_The fox reaches the center, and is reunited with all. The Rat runs away. The hawk is attacked by a leech, but it soon gets eaten. The hive is bothered by a spring breeze, but is otherwise undisturbed. The cherry blossom flees from a boar, but is forced to reveal its dark side. The deer dances to music, while the fox fights the two-headed dog for the sunny place, which in turn is darkened by the grudge-shadow. The Tanuki finds the lotus pretty, and tears it to shreds on a whim. The butterfly is scared of by a loud noise, and the fox departs once more._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Team Seven approached their destination, a general cry of relief was let out.

"Finally! I was sick and tired of that god awful forest!" Sakura exclaimed, stretching her limbs even as se walked. Despite saying nothing, the haggard Uchiha next to her gave a curt grunt in agreement, much to Naruto's chagrin.

"What!? What's wrong with you people, this place is great! You got trees, animals, bugs, water, more trees and unmentionables, what more can you want?" The blonde demanded, stamping his foot furiously, causing his two teammates to sweat drop.

"Dobe, its for those reasons that this place is unbearable." The Uchiha snorted, earning him a menacing glare from the blonde Genin.

"Fine! See if I care." Naruto 'hmphed', before facing away from his two teammates, arms crossed and pouting.

'Jerks! Laughing at my den…I oughta'

'**Discourteous guests are not welcome'**

"What's his problem?" Sasuke asked, glancing at the muttering blonde.

"Who knows? Lets just hurry up and get the tower" Sakura replied. "Oi! Naruto-Baka! Hurry up!"

"Waah?! Wait for me, Sakura-Chan" Naruto cried, running after his teammates as they left him behind. "Wait!!"

XX

Upon entering the central building, a certain blonde decided to make his thoughts heard.

"He-ey! Why's this place so empty?" Naruto demanded, the room being entirely devoid of life. The only feature was a large scroll hanging from the central wall.

"Huh? What's it saying?" Naruto asked, peering at the scroll.

"'Without…Heaven'…it seems to be missing words, either way I think its telling us to open the scrolls" Sakura said, turning to Naruto expectantly.

"Huh? Oh right" He said, fumbling through his 'pockets' for the scrolls, and handing her one.

"Okay, ready? One-Two-Three!" As the scrolls were unfurled there was a moment of quiet apprehension. For a moment Naruto thought that the scrolls hadn't worked, at least, until a small typhoon of chakra swirled up around them.

"Drop the scrolls!!" Sasuke yelled. Without a moment's hesitation, the two hurled the scrolls to the ground, where they overlapped. As the technique finished, a swirl of smoke remained, wafting aside to reveal-

"Iruka-sensei!!" Naruto cheered, "It's been to long! How are you? You still a Chuunin? Learn any kick-ass Jutsu? I haven't seen you in ages!" He proclaimed, causing the scar-nosed Chuunin to chuckle sheepishly.

'Still the same old Naruto I see'

"It's good to see you all again, heh, it seems like just yesterday I gave you your hitai-ate, now look at you, taking the Chuunin exam" Iruka smiled warmly.

"Ne, ne, Iruka-sensei, so what are you here for? Do we have to fight you or something?" The blonde asked, excited at the prospect of seeing just how skilled his old instructor was.

"No, no, nothing like that" The elder man said, waving his hands dismissively. "I'm here to congratulate you all on passing the second stage of the exam. From here on-"

'poof'

"Iruka-sensei!" ' Naruko' cried out, embracing the taller man fiercely, kissing the sides of his face vigorously. Unprepared, he blushed furiously, only to stiffen as he felt slender fingers clenching around his buttocks.

"Hey! Stop that!" He scolded, forcing the lithe girl off of him.

"Naruto-Baka!" Sakura said, beating the blonde over the head. "Have you no shame?"

"No what now?" She asked mischievously.

"Aergh, you're incorrigible" She groaned, slipping to the ground in exhaustion, the days events catching up on her. Glancing to the side, she was somewhat relieved to see that the Uchiha had followed a similar course of action. In the meantime, Naruko was prancing round in circles with a Naruto clone.

"He could barley stand a few hours ago…we've been walking non-stop since then…how can he have even _more_ energy than before?" Sasuke wondered aloud.

"Oh yeah sensei, what's the meaning of that scroll?" Sakura asked, pointing to the misshapen message.

"Who cares? We passed" 'Naruto' said, pumping his fist in triumph.

"No…I'm also here to say that…read it, it's the Chuunin motto, as written by Hokage-Sama." The brown-haired Nin explained.

"Motto?"

"Yeah, the 'heaven' here refers to the human mind, while 'earth' refers to the human body."

"Ahh"

"'If you lack heaven, seek wisdom, be prepared, if you lack earth, run in the field, seek advantages, and if you have both heaven and earth, you can succeed in even the most dangerous missions "

"Seems like an awfully long way to say 'train hard, study hard' if you ask me" Naruto muttered, earning him a clip on the ear from Sakura.

"But then, what's the missing word?" The pink-haired Kunoichi asked.

"Place the scrolls over that part, and it reads 'these rules will guide a persons extremes'. This exam was designed to test your ability to progress through an unknown environment," Iruka paused to scowl at the sniggering Naruto. "And succeed in a mission in which you don't know all the details, utilizing all your knowledge, stamina, and inner-wisdom. I want you guys to challenge the next step with this Chuunin motto in mind" Iruka finished

"Ossu (yes sir)!" Naruto saluted determinedly.

"Although, for this next part, don't do more than you have to, I don't-"

"Relax sensei," Naruto cut it. "We're Shinobi of Konoha, we don't do things half-assed, right?" The blonde grinned.

"Yeah, right" Iruka smiled back.

"Alright! To the final exam!!"

XXXXXXXX

"First off, for the second test, congratulations to those who passed" The Sandaime said from a raised platform. Behind him stood the passing teams Jounin instructors, behind them, a large statue of a ninja forming the Hitsuji (ram) seal. To his either side stood the ten exam proctors, before him stood the twenty-one passing Genin.

'For the first time in five years more than ten Genin made it to the final exam…'

Amongst both the Genin, and the Jounin, although most stood stoic, a few weren't doing a good job of hiding their feelings.

'_Soo hungry…' _Chouji stood, sucking on the cloth wrapped around his hand.

'_Sasuke-kun's team passed too'_ Ino glanced at the Uchiha, an appraising look in her eye.

'So many left? Mendoukusai…' Shikamaru let out a barley audible mumble as he slouched back.

"Your team isn't too bad, perhaps they got lucky?" Maito Gai said, glancing at the Hatake to his side. "However, from now on its about real ability, as long as my team is around getting any further is impossible. Ah well, in youth there are sweet times and there are sour times" Slowly, Kakashi turned to look at the spandex clad Jounin with a half-lidded eye.

"Huh? I'm sorry did you say something?" He said, indolently, causing the bowl-haired Nin's brow to twitch in frustration.

'_Heh…not bad my rival Kakashi, you're cool in that way…and it really gets on my nerves!'_

'_Heheh, I win'_

'_So that's Gai-sensei's eternal rival? He totally loses in terms of looks…' _Tenten smirked as her eyes darted between her, and Team Seven's sensei.

'_I knew it! Amongst all the teachers Gai-sensei is the coolest! He's positively sparkling!! Yosh (alright), watch me Gai-sensei, I'll sparkle too!!!'_

'_So…Uchiha Sasuke survived after all…'_

'_Uchiha…I'll get you back for breaking my arms'_

'_That sand guy…' _Kiba's brow creased as his white-furred partner buried himself further into the Dog-Nin's jacket.

'_Gaara's unscathed as usual…'_

'_So Naruto-kun passed as well…I'm glad'_ Hinata blushed, pressing her forefingers together.

'All_ of this years rookies made it??'_

'_Wow…everyone's here, ehehe'_

'…_I can't say I'm getting a good feeling…'_ Sasuke grinned hesitantly, his hand instinctively going to his now-marked shoulder.

"'Ahem' before I explain the third exam, I would like to explain to you something else" The Sandaime said, regaining everyone's attention.

'_True reason?'_

"Why do we have all the allied countries taking exams together? 'To promote friendship among countries' 'to raise the level of Shinobi'…these are all wrong. The true reason is…war"

"War?"

"To stop the ceaseless fighting amongst nations, these Chuunin exams were set up. Each exam is a miniature war between our nations, with equally minimal losses, and the winners? Watching the third exam will be many powerful lords, and nobles, each one a potential future client. And in the world of Shinobi, such clients seek only the strongest. Do not confuse these battles for mere sparring; these are life-and-death struggles with your dreams, and your countries prestige on the line. I will now allow the proctor for the final exam to explain" The Hokage finished, just as a figure Shunshin (body flicker)'d into the middle of the stage.

"My name is Gekkou Hayate, Hajimemashite (pleased to meet you)." The person had sickly pale skin, limp dark hair, bags under his eyes, and seemed to have something of a cough as he spoke.

'_Is he sick or something?'_

"Now then…something I need you do to…there's too many of you so…a preliminary round will be held…"

"What!? But why??"

"As Hokage-sama said…there's many important people watching the next part…we don't want the fights to drag out for so long."

'_Stupid lazy rich-asses' _Naruto grumbled.

"So…the fights will start right away…anyone not up to it, you can go"

"What? Right now??" Kiba shouted angrily. A general tension rose through the air as the Genin considered their chances.

"Ano (um)…I'm…going to quite" Kabuto said, smiling apologetically.

'_He's just giving up? No wonder he's had to take the exam six times…' _

"You're…Yakushi Kabuto of Konoha, right?" Hayate asked, checking his clipboard. "Right, you're free to go…anyone else wish to surrender? Oh yeah, from now on it's singles matches…so don't worry about letting your team down or anything…".

After speaking to his two teammates, Kabuto turned and left, but not before waving goodbye to a certain blonde Genin, whose eyes suddenly widened.

'_Just then…more a split second…I smelt it! On his hands…the blood of hundreds…maybe more…and…wait, is that snake fluids??'_

"If…there are no more going to forfeit…"

As Hayate paused, Sasuke suddenly tensed, his hand clutching his neck in pain, his breathe coming in haggard.

"S-Sasuke-kun! Are you okay?" Sakura asked, concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine!" Sasuke assured coldly.

"But your body…"

"My body can take far more than this"

'_**She plans on holding you back'**_

"Sasuke-kun…please…I'm worried"

"Don't be"

'_**She will betray you…' **_**for your own good'**_**' **_The Uchiha's Oni-Zenshin whispered, mockingly.

"Sasuke-kun I-"

"Urusai (shut up), I am an avenger, it is…no, I need to know, 'how strong am I?'. There are many strong people here. I…must test my capacity. If you take that away from me…I won't forgive you"

'_**Never forgive. Never forgive.'**_

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Relax Sakura-Chan" Naruto said assuredly. "Teme's got the power of emo, he won't lose to some two-bit chump." The blonde grinned.

"Naruto…' Sasuke began, an odd look in his eye.

'_**Between you and him, who is the alpha? Whose power is stronger…whose eyes have seen more?'**_

"I…you are also someone I want to fight" Sasuke said, his voice neither sarcastic, nor patronizing, instead born solely out of genuine desire.

'_The Teme wants to fight? How…__**excellent**__' _Naruto grinned back at the Uchiha.

"Okay Teme, it's on"

"'Ahem' Okay, we will now begin the preliminary rounds. There will be exactly ten matches; the winners will go on to the preliminaries. There are no real rules…you fight until you or your opponent can no longer continue…death is allowed, but I will call the match if there's a clear winner. Understood? Then…the first match will be announced." There was a whirring sound, and a panel on the wall slid back, revealing a wide, black screen. There was a moments pause, and the machine sprung to life. Names whirring past at high speed until…

"The first match will be Uchiha Sasuke of Konoha, and Akado Yoroi of Konoha, will the two contestants please step forward, all non-combatants are to relocate to the balcony" Hayate explained, even as the other proctors showed the others the way.

XX

'_Heh, right off the bat eh?'_

'_**Destroy him'**_

"Oh? And I didn't even have to beg…" Yoroi said haughtily.

"Are you two ready?"

"Yes"

"Yeah"

"Very well then…Hajime (begin)!"

Yoroi began by channeling chakra to his hand, before hurling a trio of shuriken at the Uchiha. Smirking, Sasuke whipped out a kunai and turned them aside with minimal effort, only to have the curse seal start burning again.

'_Kuso! I can't use chakra while this thing's growing, and its not worth the risk of activating it, but the pain's too distracting!' _Narrowly dodging a kunai thrust at his head, Sasuke quickly spun around, knocking his opponents legs from beneath him, before quickly pinning him in a triangular entanglement (arm gripped with arms, feet against shoulder and neck) and began squeezing. Letting out a cry of pain, Yoroi desperately clutched at the Uchiha's chest with his pinned arm Mere moments later, Sasuke suddenly felt his grip loosen drastically,

'_My strength…'_Before he cold ponder the cause, Yoroi quickly broke free, delivering an uppercut that resounded with a very solid crunch, sending the Uchiha sprawling. Before he could react, his 'fellow' leaf-Nin pounced on him, gripping the Uchiha's face with his hand.

"You…my chakra!" He struggled to say.

Naruto watched from the stands as the Uchiha's arms trembled, before falling flat against the ground, all signs of struggle slowly vanishing.

'_Come on Sasuke! I know you're stronger than this'_

Elsewhere, the Oto (sound) Nin's Jounin sensei watched with glee.

'_Yes, that's right Sasuke-kun. It's all drying up; your only chance is to rely on my curse seal. Now release it, that beautiful power!' _

"You…Gah!" With a grunt of effort, Sasuke managed to kick his opponent off him, feeing himself from the would-be lethal technique.

'_One more hit and I'm finished…he's going to make this a close quarters battle…what should I do…'_

"Heh, there's nothing left that you can do, its over!" Yoroi yelled, racing towards the Uchiha, his hand glowing with chakra.

'_My only chance…if I can do it…' _Breathing in deeply, Sasuke crouched down low…and vanished.

"What??"

"Where did he?"

"That's!"

There was a resounding crack as Sasuke's foot drove into his opponents chin, launching the Genin upwards. With a grunt of effort, Sasuke vanished again, his speed such that he only left a blur. In an instant he appeared behind Yoroi as he continued his aerial ascent.

"Konoha Kage Buyou (Leaf Shadow Dance)…" As he drew back his arm to continue the technique, Sasuke suddenly stiffened in pain.

"_Not…now…!' _As he struggled to move his arm, his teammates words came back to him.

_Flashback_

'_You should avoid using it in actual combat until your used to using it. Otherwise, you might lose control'_

'_Onegai (please)! Teiryuu (stop)!' _The vision of Sakura's tear-filled face appeared in his head, a site than somehow filled him with remorse.

_Flashback End_

'_That's right…back then I too…crying…'_

_Flashback_

"_Why???" A young Sasuke watched helplessly as his elder brother worked, moving swiftly and efficiently. The spray of blood never seemed to stop._

"_No more. No more. No more. AERAAAAAGGHHHH" Tears streamed down the young Uchiha's face as he struggled to stop the vision, but his eyes wouldn't close, he couldn't turn around, couldn't help but watch as the brother he thought he once knew mercilessly slaughtered them all_

_Flashback End_

'_Heh…to think a fan girl actually cares enough to shed tears over me…' _Sasuke thought, before opening his eyes, the black orbs steeled with resolution.

'_You will NOT control me! I Control YOU!!' _He screamed mentally, forcing the spreading flames back, if he could describe it, he would have said it was like herding a wild animal back into its cage.

'_He…he forced back the curse?_' Anko gasped, the whole episode having only lasted a mere three seconds.

"Now!" Letting go of his foe, the Uchiha spun in mid-air, delivering a kick to Yoroi's mid-section which was easily blocked.

"Heh, not enough". Spinning around again, Sasuke drove his fist into Yoroi's gut, the force spinning him around some more, allowing him to get a hit in with his other arm.

"One more!" Spinning around one final time, the Uchiha delivered a bone-breaking kick across his foes chest, the very second that he hit the ground, the force of the blow enough to crack the tiles beneath them.

"Shishi Rendan (Lion Barrage)!"

Kicking off with his feet, Sasuke skid backwards along the ground, having hit the ground at a high speed himself. As he picked himself up, the proctor raised his arm.

"This match is over, the winner is; Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Hell yeah! Way to go Teme!" Naruto called over the guardrail. "You should see yourself! You're all messed up and everything!" The blonde taunted. Smirking, Sasuke moved to get up, only to see a hand offered to him.

"Hmm? I guess you did good" Kakashi said, almost as though he was unsure.

"Humph" Accepting the offering for help, The Uchiha pulled himself up, only to double over as spasms of pain shot through his body.

'_The only reason I won was because I was able to copy the Konoha Kage Buyou off that Lee kid…but still… that move…to receive this much damage from strain alone, I doubt I can rely on it ever again'_

Up in the stands Gaara watched impassively, however, his siblings didn't fail to notice the slight grin that adorned his face, just as Gaara hadn't failed to notice the slight burst of odd chakra mid-way through the match.

'_Uchiha…Sasuke…I.__**. blood….**__'_

'_This is not good! Gaara's getting excited…'_

"Sasuke…I know about the curse seal" Kakashi muttered, quietly enough that only the Uchiha could hear.

"…so?"

"I'm going to take you out back…and seal it away" The copy-ninja said, causing the Uchiha's eyes to widen.

'_Even if you seal it away…it just grows in strength until it breaks through…if that happens and I'm unprepared…'_

"Can't it wait? I want to watch the remaining matches."

"No. This needs to be done before it's too late. I won't listen to your selfishness anymore." Kakashi said, narrowing his eyes at the Uchiha.

"…what if you're making a mistake? What if by sealing it, you make it worse?"

"Now whatever gave you that idea?"

"Naruto"

"Hmm?"

"Naruto said he has a seal like this one on him as well,"

'_What? Naruto told them about the Kyuubi seal?'_

"He said that if you seal it away, it just grows stronger until it can break free…in the meantime I'd be cut off…the reason I was able to control the seal then was because…, because I remembered how it felt when it first went off, I was partially used to how the seal worked, if I'm cut off from it, I will lose that familiarity" Sasuke argued back.

'_This is…more than I knew…but to claim that they work the same…what connection is there between the Bijuu and the curse seal?'_

"I see…very well then, you have until the end of the preliminaries at least, in the meantime I'll do some investigating, there may yet be a way around this thing" Kakashi said, allowing the waiting Medic-Nin to hoist the youth onto a stretcher and carry him out, before leaving in a Shunshin himself.

'_I must speak with the Sandaime…probably Anko-Chan as well…and Naruto…I'll need to organize a meeting'_

XX

As the next fight, between Aburame Shino and Zaku Abumi, went underway, Naruto sidled up next to the Oto Jounin-sensei.

"Didn't expect to see you here, unsatisfied with your 'Love-Hicky of Doom,'" Naruto said, not taking his eyes off the match.

"Oh? Is it strange for a sensei to be interested in his students progress?" The disguised Orochimaru asked.

"You sent them against the Uchiha, to whom _you_ gave power to…doesn't seem like the actions of a concerned sensei to me"

"You should always test your students' limits, now I know the extent of their usefulness"

"…you're truly despicable"

"Oh? The Kyuubi-Gaki (nine-tails brat) is lecturing _me_ on morals?" The snake Sannin leered. "You haven't even alerted the guards that I'm here, whatever happened to the 'loyal ninja'?"

"You're presence has not gone unnoticed, you got careless when you attacked your _other_ student. You and Oto have been found out." Naruto said, glancing at the various ANBU hidden in the shadows.

"You overestimate this pathetic village. It took them forty years to drive me out, and I still got the better deal"

"But for how many of those years where you a threat?"

"How about this then, if that fool of a Sandaime had named me Yondaime, then by now Konoha would be the most powerful force in the world, and _you_ would never have been sealed"

"You make that sound like a good thing…" Naruto muttered, causing the Snake-Nin's brow to rise. But before he could say anything, the Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke.

'_Kage Bunshin eh? Seems the Kyuubi-Gaki knows a few village secrets already…I may have to keep an eye out for him earlier than expected…'_

"Winner, Aburame Shino" Hayate announced. Quickly a pair of Med-Nin rushed out and loaded the now armless Zaku onto a stretcher.

"What a shame, blew his own arms off because of a few bugs…what a crappy way to end your career…" The original Naruto said

"True, but it was his own arrogance in the end that did him in" Sakura commented.

"But how cool is Shino? He's like a walking plague or something! I wonder if he can like, fly or turn into a giant bug or anything cool like that?" Naruto exclaimed.

XX

'_Hmm…my Kikaichu senses are tingling…and I have a sudden urge to hit Naruto' _Shino thought, his brow narrowing in contemplation.

XX

"Ugh…yeah, who knows?" Sakura replied hesitantly.

'_**Gah! Those bugs really freak me out!!'**_

"Did I miss anything?" Sasuke asked, walking up the stairs.

"Yo, Teme! The doctors say you're fine?" Naruto asked.

"I'm fine"

"The next match, Misumi Tsurugi vs. Kankurou, will now begin. Hajime"

"Hey, that guy stretches like Hebi-Oban (bitchy old snake hag)" Naruto laughed, pointing at the Konoha Genin.

"…Perhaps there's a relation between them," Sasuke said.

"Eww, snake sex" Naruto said, scrunching his face up in disgust.

"Why would you even say that?" Sakura wailed.

"Winner, Kankurou" Hayate announced. Kankurou sighed as he re-wrapped his puppet, having been forced to reveal it to win the match.

'_Heh, that was still too easy' _

"Man, two on one? Doesn't really seem fair in a fight like this" Naruto muttered, his eyes dating from Kankurou to Karasu (crow), his puppet.

"Tch, Usuratonkatchi (total moron), what about your Kage Bunshin?" Sasuke said matter-of-factly

"Well, yeah, when you put it like that I guess," The blonde conceded.

"The next match will be; Haruno Sakura vs. Yamanaka Ino"

"Woohoo! Cat Fight!" Kiba called out, accompanied by a piercing wolf-whistle. Scowling Tenten's brow twitched in anger.

'_Gah, stupid jerk has no respect for women' _Noticing the malicious look in her eye, and the awfully shiny looking kunai in her hand, Lee slowly edged away from his irritable teammate and sidled up next to Naruto.

"Yosh! Now it is time for Sakura-san to show her youthful strength! Uwoo, it's getting me excited!" The spandex-clad Nin proclaimed, his eyes burning with inner-fire.

"Well at least you're honest about it" Naruto muttered, glancing at the overzealous Genin.

As Sakura and Ino stood across from one another, the tension between them was almost palpable.

"Sakura…I never thought I'd be fighting you of all people…" Ino said. Saying nothing, the Haruno instead reached for her hitai-ate, whipping it off in a single sweep.

"Ino, in this fight, Sasuke doesn't matter," She began.

"What? What are you-?"

"This is not about him, this is not about our friendship, our rivalry, or even our past." The pink-haired Nin continued, tying her hitai-ate to her head.

"This fight is about who is the superior Kunoichi. If you hesitate, I won't forgive you, if you hold back, I'll hate you forever" She finished, staring Ino in the eye.

"I see, if that's the case, then so will I" no replied, tying her hitai-ate to her own forehead.

'_Today we face one another as true Kunoichi…just as you said all that time ago'_

"Hajime!"

Immediately, Sakura raced forward at a speed that surprised even herself.

'_Chakra to my feet, I go faster! Chakra to my fist…'_ Drawing back her arm, she could feel the boost in strength that the chakra granted her. The blow she dealt sending Ino flying into the ground.

'_Now!' _Flashing through some hand seals, she launched her technique just as Ino was picking herself up from the ground.

"Magen: Hakyoku no Uchinaru Sakura (Demonic Illusion: Cataclysm of Inner Sakura)"

_As Ino stood, she could immediately sense the foreign chakra lacing her senses._

"_Ha. You'll need to do better than this! Kai!" _The technique collapsed after a brief moment, leaving Ino only slightly drained.

"My family specializes in techniques of the mind, it'll take a stronger Genjutsu than you can make to catch me" The blonde taunted, drawing a kunai.

'_But still, that punch hurt like crap! If I wasn't already in pain I might not have made it' _The two rushed at each other, Ino narrowly dodging a blow to the head, her own punch deftly caught and turned aside by her rival, countering it with a roundhouse kick to the abdomen, causing Ino to stagger back a few feet.

"Yeah! Go Sakura-Chan!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fist triumphantly and leaping into the air. Sasuke looked on at the fight with a curious look in his eye.

'_Attack, defense, speed, Sakura always hangs back in fights to cats Genjutsu so I've never really seen her Taijutsu…it seems those sparring lessons with Naruto's clones weren't so wasteful after all…'_

As Ino dodged blow after blow, she couldn't help but start feel desperate.

'_I'm slowing down…It's no good! How did she get so strong? At this rate I'll get worn out, My only choice is _that_' _Leaping back, the blonde quickly burst through some hand seals.

"I won't let you!" Sakura cried, racing forward once again. As the Kunoichi drew closer, Ino's hands came to a stop in a variant of the Tori (rooster) seal.

"That's!"

"Ninpou: Shintenshin no Jutsu (Ninja art: art of the mind/body swap)" As the technique completed, Sakura slumped, moments way from striking distance, while Ino also fell to the ground.

"Heheh…to bad Sakura" Ino said, her voice coming from Sakura's mouth.

"What just happened? Why did Sakura-san stop?" Lee asked, turning to first Naruto, then Sasuke.

"It's useless" Shikamaru said. "Shintenshin allows the user to take over the body of their foe. Sakura's little more than a puppet now" He explained.

'_So it works like Kitsunetsuki _(fox possession)_…'_

"Kuso (Shit)!" Naruto swore, banging his fist against the rail. Meanwhile, in the ring, 'Sakura' raised her hand.

"Sakura-Chan!! You can't lose now after coming so far!! And you call yourself a Kunoichi!!" Naruto cried out, leaning over the rail dangerously.

'_That annoying…bah, who cares'_

"I, Haruno Sa-" Before she could finish, 'Sakura' stiffened suddenly.

'_**Shannaro! Get the hell out my head!' **_Inside Sakura's head, Ino was suddenly shoved out of the way by what appeared to be Sakura, but had the words 'Uchinawa (inner voice) Sakura' printed on her forehead.

'_W-what?? Th-theres two of her!! Two minds!!! How can a person have two minds??! No!' _As the internal forces struggled for control, on the outside Sakura's left hand shot up, grabbing her right hand by the wrist.

"I-I..I gi-"

"Like Hell!!!" Gripping her 'own' hand fiercely, Sakura slowly dragged the wayward limb back down, drops of blood staining her fingers as her nails broke her own skin. Inside her mind, Uchinaru Sakura was increasing in size, seizing the blonde mind-walker and throttling her.

'_**Ino-Bunta **__(pig-pig) If__** you don't get out now you'll be sorry!!'**_

'_No good! I can't…Kai!!' _Dispelling the technique, Ino's mind immediately fled back to her body, causing Sakura to slump at the sudden freedom.

"You…what the hell are you?" Ino demanded, her whole body trembling. Sakura said nothing, opting to clench her fists instead. Bracing herself, she crouched down low.

'_We're both nearly out of chakra, If I can get a decent hit in I should be fine'_ Ino thought, a bead of sweat dripping from her brow. Before she could move, however, she was suddenly frozen by a burst of killing intent.

'_W-what is?'_

"**SHANNARO!!!" **Sakura bellowed, her eyes filled with a burning white fury. Channeling chakra to her feet she leapt up off the ground, the force of her push crushing the tiles beneath her feet. Before Ino could even blink, what felt like a sledgehammer impacted against her skull, sending her flying into the wall of the arena. When failed to move after several seconds, Hayate walked over and bent down to check her prone form.

"Yamanaka Ino is unable to continue, the winner is Haruno Sakura!" As the words went through her mind, Sakura slumped, before raising her head in a cheeky grin, making a 'V' with her fingers. Gaara looked on with wide eyes, a malicious grin on his face.

'_I felt it. I felt it. Just then I felt it. Just a hint. Youki…'_

'_**Bwahahaha! I want to kill the Haruno now too!'**_

"Woohoo! Way to go Sakura-Chan! Ino got Owned!!" Naruto cheered.

"Yosh! Sakura-san is truly in the midst of her Springtime of Youth!" Instead of reciprocating their cheers, Sakura walked over to the pair of Medic-Nin.

"I uh…kinda went a little overboard with that last attack, I mean, well"

"If you're concerned about her health, you can relax. All Yamanaka-san has is some external bruising, and a mild concussion. She should be up and about in a little while" The med-Nin explained.

"That's good then…" Sakura muttered,

"Do you need any assistance?" The med-Nin asked.

"Iie (no), I'll be fine" She said, before running up to join her teammates.

"I must say I'm impressed" Asuma said, puffing lazily on a cigarette.

"A lot of things have happened…" Kakashi said, cryptically. "When faced with adversity it's adapt or die, and adapting is something my team excels at"

"Hmm…"

XX

"The Fifth match, between Temari and Sogekihei Tenten will now begin"

"Good luck Tenten!" Lee cheered.

"Hmm…the second ninja from Suna (sand)…this should be interesting" Neji wondered aloud.

"Hajime!"

"Tenten!! Youth Power!!"

"Cheer Harder!!!" Gai commanded, raising his fists to the heavens. Behind them, a now recovered Ino approached Sakura.

"Ah, hey Ino…" Sakura said hesitantly.

"Hey Forehead Girl"

"Ino-Bunta!"

"I gotta say, you beat me good…but next time, I'll be the one coming out on top"

"Heh, you say that now, but as it stands I'm in the lead"

"Oh it is on, Forehead Girl!"

"The winner is, Temari" Hayate announced.

"For all her weapons to be neutralized…Suna is truly powerful in its ninja" Neji said.

"I suppose that if you specialize in a single field, you're bound to meet someone you can do nothing against…" Naruto said.

"The next match will be between Nara Shikamaru, and Tsuchi Kin," As the combatants made their way to the arena; Ino ran over to the railing.

"Come on Shika!! You can't lose!!" She called out.

"Tch, Mendoukusai, fighting a woman…" The lazy Nara drawled.

XX

"Winner, Nara Shikamaru"

"Yay Shika!!" Ino cheered.

"You Rule!!" Chouji joined in.

"It was a basic fight…but the ending was worth it, maybe Shikamaru should become a stand-up comedian…" Naruto wondered aloud.

"Man, those sound guys are tough…and the sand guys…" Kiba said, absentmindedly scratching his dogs head.

"Y-you think so?" Hinata asked nervously.

"Yeah, definitely. Those Suna-Nin…they're so strong it's scary, listen. If you go up against that Gaara guy, Sasuke, or Neji, I want you to forfeit, okay?" The dog-Nin asked, causing the shy Hyuuga's eyes to droop.

"H-Hai (yes)…I understand…" She replied, her eyes downcast. Naruto's ears twitched as the words carried over to him.

"Don't listen to him Hinata-Chan, you'll do great no-matter who you fight!" The blonde insisted.

"Baka (idiot), She'll get herself killed!" The Inuzuka shouted.

"Oi, you two, save it for the arena" Sakura said, pointing to the match up.

"The next fight will be Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba"

XX

"Hehe, hey Akamaru, this is great isn't it? We've practically won already" Kiba boasted, holding his Ninken (Ninja dog) above his head.

"Urusai! Inuzuka, I can forgive you touching her with your grubby paws, or as it stands you have as much claim as I do, but I can't forgive your lack of faith in your own teammate!" Naruto hissed, so that only those on the floor could hear.

"Well unlike you, I'm not about to let her kill herself" Kiba retorted.

"She's not a glass doll that needs to be sheltered"

"Tch, Akamaru, sit this one out, I can take him all on my own" He instructed his dog, sending the white puppy to the sidelines."

"Naruto! Don't lose to that flea-house!!" Sakura yelled. Sasuke stared at the blond, offering him a curt nod.

'_Naruto, after that fight in the forest I expect you to win'_

'_I…I want to cheer for Naruto-kun…but then Kiba-kun might get mad…what do I do?' _Hinata pondered, tapping her fingers together nervously.

"Heh, I'll finish this in one move, Shikyaku no Jutsu (art of four feet)!" As blue chakra encircled the dog-boy, he fell down onto his hands and feet, his nails hardening into claws and the fangs in his mouth extending. Snarling, he moved, flying across the ground at high speed and striking Naruto in the chest and beating him down to the ground.

"Hehe, call the match. He won't be getting up after that" Kiba said, laughing as he walked away.

"Getting up after what?" Naruto asked, causing Kiba to whirl around.

"Wh-what?" Kiba watch as Naruto stood, seemingly unharmed.

"Heh, thanks for that, now I know exactly how strong, and how fast you are, you might as well use Akamaru, I can tell already you won't win without him"

"Tch, you'll regret that"

"Go ahead, hit me with your best shot" Naruto chided, thumping his chest with his fist.

"Alright then, if that's the way you want it, I'll just go all out" Fishing into his pouch, the Inuzuka pulled out a soldier pill and tossed it to his dog.

"Grr-rrr-rrah!!" As the dope took effect, the dog began snarling viciously, his fur turning into a flaring vermilion. Popping a pill himself, Kiba crouched down low, his dog-companion leaping onto his back.

"Juujin Bunshin (man-beast clone)!" There was a poof of smoke, and where Akamaru once stood, there now crouched a second Kiba, identical in every aspect to himself.

"Lets go!!" Leaping from their position, the two dog-boys rushed at Naruto, who took a step back.

"I should warn you Kiba…this isn't my first time fighting outnumbered…or an opponent with claws" As the pair struck, Naruto dropped to all fours, before leaping up again, landing vertically on the wall, the attack missing by millimeters.

'_Lets make this fight a bit more even…a little…just enough…perfect!' _As the dog-pair leapt at him, Naruto kicked himself off the wall, flying at them.

"Grrraaah!!" The blonde drove a clawed foot into the chest of one of them, pushing him away and himself towards the second. Maneuvering in mid-air, he grabbed the second by the legs and, spinning, hurled him into the wall.

"Gwah-ha!" Kiba coughed as he impacted, before quickly righting himself.

'_Claws? How? What does it matter,' _

"You'll have to do better than that!!!" The pair raced at the blonde again, from opposite sides this time. Leaping to the side, Naruto barley dodge the attack, the outer layer of his jacket getting torn in the process.

"Take this; Juujin Taijutsu no Ougi (man-beast Taijutsu supreme technique) Yahoo!!" The pair ran, the twisted, and leapt into the air. "Gatsuuga (dual piercing fang)!" Rotating at high speeds, the pair appeared as two large, gray, spinning masses of claws and fangs, both heading straight for the airborne blonde.

"That's-!" The pair shot past Naruto, their claws grinding against the metal mesh within his clothes, only to bounce of the walls and do it again, and again, and again and again and again from every different possible angle, the metal shielding quickly torn to shreds with each impact. When he finally stopped, Kiba and Akamaru came skidding to a halt, leaving Naruto to hit the ground heavily.

"Haah…haa…it's over" Kiba panted, nodding to the proctor.

"Don't…" Naruto muttered, struggling to move.

'_That hurt like a bitch…'_

"Give up, your to hurt to even move" Kiba taunted, laughing at the struggling blonde.

"Don't ever…" A wave of pain shot through the blonde, even as he raised his hand.

'_I am the one born with the mark of the spiral…whose life was determined by a spiral'_

"UNDERESTIMATE ME!!" With a grunt of effort, Naruto kicked himself up off the ground, staggering backwards a few steps before righting himself.

'_I won't be beaten by a drill here!'_

"Even if you can stand, it still won't help you! Gatsuuga!"

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A pair of clones formed at his side, while three others appeared throughout the arena. As the spinning pair hurtled towards him, the clones on either side grabbed the original by the arm and spun, sending Naruto hurtling towards one of the oncoming attacks.

'_What is he planning? He'll get himself killed?'_

Moments before impact, Naruto's arm shot out, coated with chakra it went right through the technique, grabbing the Kiba inside.

"What!?"

"Wuoooraah!!" With a great cry, Naruto hurled his captive towards one of his clones, who, in turn, hurled him at the second Kiba, whose technique was still going. As he impacted against the technique, Kiba let out a howled cry, before dropping to the ground. With a 'poof' the Kiba changed back into Akamaru.

"Akamaru!" With a cry, Kiba ended his technique, and ran over to his fallen comrade.

"Making me get Akamaru, you'll pay for that!!" He yelled,

"No, it's over" Naruto said, just as a puff of smoke appeared beneath the Inuzuka.

"Katachi Koutai no Jutsu!" As the smoke cleared, Kiba found himself unable to move, heavy chains restraining his arms and legs.

"Wh-what is this?!"

"There was another clone you didn't see, hidden on my left arm as a patch of blood. When I grabbed Akamaru, he was transferred onto him, as soon as you approached, he then changed into the chains before you, and now, it's over!" With that the remaining Naruto clones encircled Kiba, brandishing their claws menacingly.

"Do you're worst!" The dog-Nin taunted.

"You asked for it" With a quick nod, one of the clones dashed forward, his claws ripping at Kiba's side.

"Gah…that all you've got?"

"Go!!" At his command, all the clones repeated the first's actions, dashing past the Inuzuka and dragging their claws against his flesh, before coming in for another round, as they struck the chains holding Kiba in place vanished, causing him to spin around as he was struck. Their attacks caused Kiba's blood to splatter around him, forming a multi-armed spiral, and around Kiba's midsection, nine red lines appeared where the clones struck.

"Akujunkan (Vicious Circle)" As he spoke, the Inuzuka swayed, before collapsing to the ground, his skin pale from blood loss. After Hayate checked him, the coughing ninja stood up.

"Inuzuka Kiba is unable to continue. The winner is, Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto let out a sigh of relief, before walking over to his fallen foe.

"Hey, Kiba, you fought well. But I won"

/Take your eyes off Hinata, and let her live her own life. Then we can be allies/ Naruto growled softly, causing Kiba's eyes to widen, before softening.

/Yes…Alpha/ The dog-boy replied, just as unconsciousness claimed him.

"Alright! Way to go Naruto!" Sakura cheered.

"Naruto beat Kiba? I guess he isn't just 'That' Naruto anymore then" Shikamaru said, a smile on his face.

"But what a bloody victory, did he have kunai up his sleeves or something?" Chouji asked, munching on a chip.

"I didn't see one…but he must have…"

"Woohoo! I rock!!" Naruto cheered as he ran up the stairs to the balcony, his fangs and claws already receded. His grin faltered as he saw Hinata, his mind racing.

'_Kuso! He's a jerk, but he's still her teammate! What if she's mad at me? What if she-'_

"C-congratulations…Naruto-kun" She said, an honest smile on her face.

"Ah, ehe, yeah" He muttered, rubbing the back of his head. The Shy Hyuuga seemed to struggle with something, before making a decision.

'chu '

Naruto's eyes widened as the normally reserved Hyuuga planted a sudden kiss on his lips, only for her to suddenly blush and run back to her team.

'_She kissed me…in front of everyone…'. _As Sakura walked up to him, he suddenly came back to his senses and licked his lips.

"Mmm…strawberries..." The blonde murmured, a slight trickle of drool escaping his mouth.

"Ewww, Naruto-Baka, don't say things like that" Sakura scolded, hitting him over the head. No one but Gai noticed the way Neji was glaring at the blonde.

'_You seem to be enjoying yourself…Hinata-sama'_

'_This boy…his spite carries deeply…'_

XX

"The pairing for the next match are; Hyuuga Hinata vs Hyuuga Neji. Will the combatants please come down to the arena" Hinata's eyes widened, while both Neji and Naruto's eyes narrowed, but for entirely different reasons.

"Hinata-sama…I didn't expect to be facing you…"

"Neji-Nii-San (Brother Neji)…"

'_I don't want to fight you…'_

'_Neji…that's Hinata-Chan's cousin…the 'prodigy of the Hyuuga Branch Family' that she always talks about…'_

"A fight between two that belong to the most prestigious clan in Konoha…the house of Hyuuga…this match will be something…" Sasuke muttered aloud.

"This fight may turn ugly…" Naruto muttered.

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"There is much bad blood between the main family of the Hyuuga clan and the Branch family, and between the two of them personally" Lee explained.

"Is that so…" The Kunoichi muttered, turning back to the fight.

"Hajime!"

"Hinata-sama…you should forfeit now" Neji said, his cold eyes bearing down on the shy Hyuuga heir.

"Neji-Nii…"

"You do not make a good Shinobi. You're too kind, you seek to avoid confrontations, and you agree without putting up resistance. I'm sure the only reason you even joined the Chuunin exam was just to benefit your teammates."

"I…no…that is…I…wanted to see…if I could change myself…"

"I see…Hinata-sama, you are a spoilt brat of the main house. People can not change themselves!"

'_I…I'm just…a spoilt brat?' _

"Losers are losers, personality and strength are things that do not change."

'_You…saying such things…' _Naruto scowled as the Hyuuga continued.

"Because people cannot change, differences are born. Expressions like 'elite' and 'loser' are born. Looks, brains, size, and personality, all people judge and are judged on these values. Based on these unchangeable factors, people discriminate and are discriminated against, and they suffer within their own means. Just as I am from the branch house, and you are from the main house."

Naruto clenched his teeth in anger as Neji prolonged what was all but an interrogation.

"With these eyes, I can see a great many things. Your movements, your posture, you know you can't win, and are already seeking a way to escape. You already realize it yourself. You cannot, nor ever will be able to change your-"

"YOU CAN!!" Naruto yelled, cutting of the ruthless Hyuuga. "People will always change! Hinata! Kick his ass!!!"

'_Naruto-kun…you are someone who's always striving to become better…and bit-by-bit you always do…in that case'_

"Byakugan!" Hinata declared, her white eyes pulsating as blood and chakra flowed through them, the veins around her eyes bulging out against her skin. "Neji-Nii-San, I will not run away. We _will_ fight!" She commanded, slipping into her families Jyuuken (gentle fist) stance.

"Hmph, so be it, I won't be held responsible for how this turns out" Neji replied, slipping into the same stance.

"Hyah!" As the two exchanged blows, Naruto couldn't help but swell with pride. Hinata, _his_ Hinata was fighting toe to toe with the person said to be the strongest Genin in Konoha, not only that, but she was actually gaining ground.

'_This ferocity, I've never seen Hinata-Sama like this!' _Neji gasped, wincing as he failed to properly avoid a strike to his side.

"She got him!"

"No, it wasn't deep enough" Sakura corrected.

"It doesn't matter, every strike does internal damage, even a slight touch can be critical. That's why it's called 'Jyuuken'. Naruto explained, beaming like an idiot.

'_Left lung, right kidney, pivot, dodge, right lung, liver…now!' _Hinata thrust at her opponent's heart, only for the attack to be stopped inches from its target.

"Not yet!" She struck with her other arm, but it was also dealt with the same way, hand to the wrist, and a finger to the arm.

"How? Her attacks have been landing perfectly!" Naruto demanded in outrage. Neji smirked, before peeling back the sleeve of Hinata's jacket, revealing a row of angry, red dots.

"That is!"

"That's right. I can see the Tenketsu (pressure points)"

"I see…so from the beginning,"

"It took a little bit to get used to your protective jacket, but yes. Your arms have been sealed since the very beginning." Shooting his arm out, Neji impacted against her chest with his palm, sending her sprawling.

"This is the unreachable gap between our powers, the difference between an elite and a loser that can never be changed. You can no longer fight, give up"

"I…I won't run away. I won't go back on my word…that…that is my Nindo (way of the ninja)!" She declared, picking herself up off the ground.

"To continue is futile"

"I won't back down!" With a cry, she leapt at her cousin, attacking him even more viciously than before.

'_Even if I can't use Jyuuken…I can still fight!' _

'_She is…this is getting out of hand! I must end this!' _Redirecting her blow, Neji stepped to the side, before striking her directly in the heart. Coughing up blood, Hinata collapsed to the ground.

"I told you, from the beginning you have done nothing"

'_A blow to the heart…it is over for the poor girl' _Gai muttered.

"As continuing is impossible, I declare-"

"DON'T!!" Naruto roared, surprising everybody.

"Naruto! She's unconscious and-"

"She can…still fight…" As Naruto spoke, a gasp rang out through the crowd, as Hyuuga Hinata got to her feet.

"You…! If you continue like this you'll die!"

"This is…not over" She panted, limping towards her cousin.

"Acting like this…it's pointless! You have always hated your own weakness as the heir but people cannot change their fate!! Give up now and-!"

"I…can see it…the aura of unhappiness…the darkness enveloping your heart…" Hinata said, her voice wavering as her strength faded. "The one who is suffering in the destiny of the main and branch families…is you…"

"You…WHAT DO YOU KNOW!!!" Roaring, Neji ran toward she faltering Hyuuga heir, his Byakugan blazing in white fury.

"Stop"

With a poof of smoke, no less than four Jounin had surrounded him, effectively making attack impossible.

"Neji, you gave your word as a man not to allow your personal feeling to interfere with this fight" Gai said angrily.

"Why? Does the main family get special treatment!?!?"

_Ba-dum_

"Guah-haa" Hinata gagged as her heart suddenly beat raggedly, collapsing to the ground as she coughed up a puddle of blood. In an instant Naruto leapt down, and was by her side.

"Hinata-Chan!"

"Na-Naruto…-kun…did I…change?'"Hai…you are…so…"

"…I'm glad" She murmured, slipping into darkness.

_Ba…dum…ba…_

"MEDIC!!!! MEDIC!!!! GET HER THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!!" Naruto screamed, red tinting the edges of his eyes.

"Ahh! Right away!"

"Hey, loser over there," Neji said, drawing everyone's attention to him. "I'd like to tell you two things, one, if you really are a Shinobi, then you should stop idiotically cheering on others and two, in the end, a loser is always just a loser. They will _never_ change". Naruto glared at the Hyuuga prodigy, before glancing over towards the medic team taking Hinata away

"Her heart beat's erratic, at this rate she won't last ten minutes"

_Ba……dum………_

"Hyuuga Neji…" Naruto said, walking over to the blood that Hinata had coughed up.

"…?" Bending down, Naruto dragged his fingers through the puddle, the crimson liquid glistening on his fingertips. Standing, the blonde brought his hands up and dragged them across his face, painting his whiskers red with Hinata's blood.

"I swear…upon the blood that was spilt…I will defeat you…if Hyuuga Hinata dies…then I swear upon her immortal memory…you will wish you has died with her"

It was like a flash of lighting, there, then gone again in the same instant, so fast you'd swear it was just your imagination. But, for one second, just a split second, there was not a whole room full of people standing there. _There was only Neji, Hinata, who was fast fading from life, and another. Not a man, but a raging demon, its flames engulfing all around it. It's red eyes turned and settled on Neji, a great, long tail whipping around behind it…_

Neji blinked, the vision fast fading to the back of his mind.

'_What…what was that? Genjutsu??' _

'_That Naruto guy…something about him reminds me of Gaara…' _Kankurou thought nervously.

"Ahem…if you'll all return to the stands, the next match will now begin.

XX

"To face you this early, I'm honored". Gaara said nothing, the cork from his gourd dropping with a 'pop'.

"The next match will be; Gaara vs. Rock Lee, Hajime!"

Darting forward, lee made the first move.

"Konoha Senpuu (Leaf Whirlwind). As his kick drew near, sand flowed out from Gaara's gourd, blocking the attack.

"Sand?" Gaara's eyes narrowed, and the sand moved to envelop the bowl-haired Nin.

"Uwaah!" Kicking backwards, Lee skidded out of the sands way. Gritting his teeth, his attacked again, launching a barrage of strikes, only to have each one get blocked.

"That's it!!" Naruto exclaimed, suddenly."What's it?" Sakura asked.

"Ah, nothing, never mind" The blonde apologized, turning back to the match.

'_Of course, the sand…Shukaku was the Bijuu of wind, but he dwelt in the desert! Gaara's using the wind to move the sand! But…that would require at least…the gourd!! That gourd on his back, it's not a gourd! It's his tail! He's fighting with his tail out!!'_

"Taijutsu obviously isn't working, why doesn't Lee use any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu?" Sakura asked, causing Gai to grin.

"It's not that he isn't using Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, it's that he can't!"

"What?"

"For him, molding chakra is next to impossible…so he has devoted all his time into training his Taijutsu" Gai said. As Lee avoid a wave of sand, he leapt up onto the hand-seal statue.

"And his Taijutsu is…well…you'll see. Lee! Take them off!" Gai instructed.

"Ah! But Gai-Sensei! You said that was only for-"

"It's okay, I'll allow it!

"Aha!" Sitting down, Lee pulled off his legwarmers, revealing a pack of weight on each leg. Grinning, he undid the straps, and dropped them to the ground.

"Pffttt, like losing a little weights gonna allow him to stand up to Gaara, he-!!" Temari was cut off as the weights hit the ground with a crash, penetrating the floor tiles and sending up clouds of debris.

"A bit much don't you think?" Kakashi said, appearing behind Gai.

"Kakashi-sensei! When did you get back?" Naruto asked.

"Just now…did I miss anything?" Kakashi asked, smiling.

"Gah, forget it" Naruto muttered, turning back just in time to see lee vanish.

"What!?"

An instant later, he reappeared behind Gaara and drove his fist at him, impacting heavily against the sand. He struck again, and again, each hit penetrating the sand just a little more, until…

"He got him!!" Temari gasped, never having seen Gaara get hit before.

'_This is…what's going to happen?'_

"Yosh! Now we're just getting started."

"LEE! EXPLODE!!" Gai called out.

"OSSU!!" Vanishing in blur, Lee darted around Gaara, the Shukaku heir's sand scarcely able to keep up, before delivering a heavy right hook to Gaara's face, forcing him back a few steps.

"This is…really bad…" Kankurou muttered.

"Yeah, Itoko's getting his ass kicked. Hah, I doubt he ever expected to fight someone like Lee" Naruto replied. Not that, _that_. The Puppet wielder said, pointing at Gaara.

"That's…oh…this…is bad" Naruto muttered in agreement. Gaara stood with a maniacal grin on his face, pieces of sand falling from his face like eggshell.

'_I had a feeling this was going to happen…_that_ Gaara is fully awake…It's been years since I've seen this face'_

"As it is, that guy'll get killed for the fun of it"

"I…I had no-idea he was like that…" Naruto muttered, glancing at Gaara as the sand enveloped him again, filling in the holes in his armor.

'_Of course…I've never really met another Jinchuuriki before…I suppose they've all adapted in different ways…'_

"Is that all?" Gaara demanded, his calm demeanor returning. Frowning, Lee began undoing his bandages.

'_I see…my only option is the lotus' _With that Lee vanished again, whirling around Gaara in a circle, causing the sand to whip about.

"Hurry up and come" Gaara said impatiently.

"As you wish!" Lee appeared beneath Gaara, beginning the Konoha Kage Buyou.

'_The sand weighing him down…more!!' _As he kicked repeatedly, Gaara slowly rose from the ground, each strike increasing his height little by little until…

The bandages around Lee's wrists wrapped themselves around Gaara, the bowl-haired youth turned the two of them upside down and began spinning.

"Omote Renge (Initial Lotus)!"

As Gaara impacted against the ground, Lee leapt away, leaving a prone Gaara lying in the middle of some rubble.

"Did he kill him?"

"No…no way!"

Lee gasped in shock as 'Gaara' melted away into sand, revealing a hollow shell.

'_He used Kawarimi, but left his armor behind!'_

"Hehehehe" Gaara laughed malevolently as he rose from behind Lee, sand pouring off of him.

"DIE!!" Forming a hand seal, Gaara send another wave of sand at Lee, sending him crashing into the wall.

"Why didn't lee-san dodge it?" Sakura demanded.

"The lotus is a double-edged sword, all that high speed movement puts incredible strain on the body, right now he's in too much pain to even move, right Gai?"

"Kakashi…The Lotus of Konoha always blooms twice" Gai said, an odd look in his eye.

"You don't mean-!"

"Kyuumon-Kai (Rest Gate-Release)!" Lee cried out, crossing his arms across his chest. A burst of energy flew out, and his wounds slowly began to heal.

"Gai…how many of the gates can that kid open?" Kakashi demanded, revealing his Sharingan to watch.

"He can open as many as five of them" Gai said, his voice torn between pride and shame.

"A Genin…you taught a Genin how to perform a technique like that!!? The copy-Nin demanded, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Don't lecture me on how to train my students Kakashi" Gai reprimanded. "He is someone who would go through anything to accomplish his dreams…I simply gave him the means to do so…can you honestly say the same?"

"There are still limits Gai, I've lost respect for you"

'_Sasuke-kun, Neji-kun, Naruto-kun. Watch me, all of you…watch as I show you…my burning will!' _As Lee's body stained, a slight glow started appeared around it, the veins in his head started pulsing, and his skin started to darken and turn red as more blood was pumped through it.

"SEIMON (Life gate)-KAI!!" With a roar he brought his arms down to his sides, accompanied by an explosion of energy.

'_I will protect my Nindo!!' _Lee tore down towards Lee, his steps ripping up the ground beneath him. A barley perceivable kick sent the Suna-Nin flying into the air. As the sand trailed behind him, Gaara was suddenly knocked to the side, and the other, a practically invisible Lee bouncing him about in the air.

"SHOUMON (Wound gate)-KAI!"

'_The Suna no Yoroi (Armour of sand)…its being knocked off…' _Lee drew back his fist for another strike, only the have it tremor sporadically, causing him to wince in pain.

'_His muscles just snapped…' _Kakashi observed. _'Any more and..'_

"**TOMON **(Limit Gate)-**KAI!!" **

Naruto shuddered as he felt the sheer power washing off of the green-clad ninja, his hands trembling uncontrollable.

'_This power! So much power! Too much power! I can feel it with me…A HUMAN SHOULD NOT HAVE SUCH POWER!!!' _

Lee smashed his fist into Gaara's chest, affixing his bandage to the redhead's clothes in the process.

"**THIS IS IT!!" **Drawing back his fist again, Gaara was pulled back up.

"**HAAAAA!!!! URA RENGE!!!" **Lee drove his palm into the Suna-Nin's stomach, shattering right through the Suna no Yoroi and sending him crashing to the ground.

"**GWAAA**aahhh!!" Lee cried out in pain as his whole body shook, the gates re-sealing themselves within him as he fell to the ground as well.

As Lee struggled to get up, he gasped as he saw Gaara; lying on his back in a mound of sand, the gourd on his back no-where to me seen. Grunting, he raised his hand, the sand extending itself towards Lee, enveloping his left arm and leg.

"Sabaku Kyu (Desert Funeral)…Sabaku…Sousou! (Desert Funeral)!" Gaara clenched his fist, and the sand constricted around lee's already damaged limbs, causing him to cry out in agony. The sand moved again, but was stopped by a green blur.

"That's enough" Gai said, staring the Jinchuuriki down.

'_He saved him…he saved him…he saved him…'_

'…_**Love…'**_

"GAH!! Why…, why did you save him!?" Gaara demanded, clutching his head in agony.

"Because…he is my beloved comrade" Gai said. Gaara seemed to shudder for a moment before getting back up, all the sand in the arena reforming into his armor and gourd.

"The Winner is Gaara"

"Fine! I don't care anymore!" Gaara turned to walk away, but a movement out the corner of his eye stopped him.

"Lee!" The spandex-clad ninja stood there, his left arm and leg hanging limp, his right hand bend into his Gouken (strong fist) stance, his whole body twitching sporadically.

"Lee, that's enough, its over. Lee! You shouldn't be standing with your body…Lee! Lee…you,…you…" The elder man broke into tears as he saw his students eyes, glazed and unseeing, he was already unconscious.

"Oh lee…to continue trying to prove your Nindo, even after passing out…what have I done to you?" Gai cried, embracing his zombie-like student gently.

"Lee…you are already…a great ninja…"

The medic team ran over, and took Lee from his Sensei's grasp, lying him out upon a stretcher. After doing a quick diagnosis Jutsu, one of the medics shook his head.

"I'm afraid he has multiple fractures throughout his body…much of his muscle tissue has been torn…but…the damage to his left arm and leg…its so extensive that I doubt we will be able to do anything…he will most likely never be able to perform as a ninja again."

"No…it can't be true…"

'_Forgive me Lee…I was unable to stop you…'_

As the medics took Lee away Kakashi walked up to Gai.

"Look…I wish to apologize for what I said earlier…I admit…if I where in your position…I probably wouldn't have been able to stop my student either" Kakashi relented. "Come on…they still need to do the next match"

"…Yeah…"

XXXX

Compared to much of the other matches, the final match between Chouji and Dosu was extremely brief, lasting under a minute in total, with Dosu being the winner with a single attack.

'_Ah well…at least now these prelims are over'_

"With this, the preliminary rounds for the third exam are over. To all of you that passed, Congratulations to you all. Hokage-Sama will now explain the final exam" Hayate coughed, stepping back to allow the Sandaime to step forward.

"Now then, as I told you before, the final matches will be observed by many people, each of you represents the strengths of your respective countries. Because of that, I want you all to show off your abilities and fight with no reserves. Which is why the finals will be held a month from now"

"What? Why don't we fight right now?"

"Firstly, because it will take us that much time to organize the event, and secondly, you all know have a fair idea of each other's strengths and weaknesses, you should use this time to consider your chances of winning, and to develop new techniques so that your opponents don't know everything about you. In other words, this is time for training."

'_I have to train hard! As I am know I doubt I could actually beat Neji…I may have to fight Gaara as well…and…Sasuke…'_

"Before you go, you will each choose a number from the ballot box, these will determine who fights who in the finals."

As each of the Genin took a number, the Sandaime looked over the Genin.

'_The skills some of them have shown here…there are some Jounin that would fall before these children…but still, combat prowess doesn't account for everything'_

"Now that you have you're number, please tell us what you get, starting from the left.

"I got Nine" Dosu

"One" Naruto

"Seven" Temari

"Five" Kankurou

"Three" Gaara

"Eight" Shikamaru

"Two" Neji

"Six" Shino

"Four" Sasuke

"Ten" Sakura

"Okay then, the pairings for the first round of the third exam will be; Uzumaki Naruto vs Hyuuga Neji. Gaara vs. Uchiha Sasuke. Kankurou vs. Aburame Shino. Temari vs. Nara Shikamaru. And Dosu Kinuta vs. Haruno Sakura. You're all dismissed

"Alright! Straight to training!" Naruto shouted.

'_Ah, I'd better visit Hinata-Chan in the hospital before I do…and Geji Mayu_ (Thick Brows)…I hope they're okay…'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: The way the Japanese translations are written has changed, as I hope you can see.

Some battles have been skipped, but I liked it that way.


	26. The Big Book of Revelations

Chapter 26

The Big Book of Revelations

_The fox sees the aftermath of the gathering, and feels regret. The Tanuki, on the other hand, was unsatisfied with the proceedings and seeks to rectify the situation, much to the fox's chagrin. The scarecrow takes the fox to the old flame, and the snake's daughter, and so he sings a tale to them, before departing unexpectedly._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto was pissed, and not just the regular kind of pissed; where you feel like breaking a lamp or something. He was the other kind of pissed, the kind where you know exactly why your pissed, without a doubt who's responsible, and precisely what you can do to remedy the situation. Unfortunately for Naruto, the answer to all of these questions was 'the woman in front of him', and 'kill her'. And he gladly would, were it not for the fact that a trio of ANBU had been trailing him since he left the Forest of Death (presumably to ensure he didn't assassinate one Hyuuga Neji right there and then), meaning that doing so would most likely land him with a weeks worth of tunneling out from a jail cell, and, as they were both within a hospital, the old hag would probably just get revived anyway.

"Look Oban(cranky old hag), I'm not asking for trouble or anything, I just want Hinata-Chan and Geji-I mean Rock Lee's room number so I can visit them"

"And _I'm_ saying that the likes of you aren't welcome on these premises" The desk clerk hissed, narrowing her eyes at the blonde. She was the type of woman you find in every establishment; thin, pursed lips that looked as though she'd just licked a lemon out from a cow's rectum, half-moon glasses that were probably carved from an extinct volcano several thousand years ago, and that murky cream colored cardigan that you could almost swear was capable of independent movement.

"On what basis are you detaining me? What rule, what law is stopping me from visiting my friends?"

"Hmph, as if a demon like _you _has friends" She spat. In less than the time it takes to blink, she suddenly found herself pinned against the wall, a kunai pointed dangerously close to her neck.

"Oba…Mitsuomi-san" Naruto said, pausing to glance at her nametag. "You just officially broke the Sandaime's law; speaking of a village secret in public, an offence punishable by death that I, as a ninja, am certified to carry out immediately" The woman's eyes were wide with terror as the blonde issued his verdict. Without pausing for a second, he brought his kunai down.

'Thunk'

The woman slumped, held up only by the kunai pinning her to the wall, inadvertently ruining her cardigan in the process. Naruto blinked.

"Wow…she actually fainted…ah well" Jumping down off the table (and cursing his lack of height), Naruto picked up the hospital register.

"Lets see…Hya…Hyu…Hyuuga Hinata, room 17b…and…Ra…Ru…Ro…Rock Lee, room 30a…. what bastards! they're on completely different ends of the building!" Naruto cursed, replacing the book on the desk.

"Sayonara (Goodbye) Mitsuomi-Oban" Naruto waved, before heading off down the corridor.

XX

"Lets see…15a…16a…17a…17b! Here we are" Naruto grinned, before opening the door. "Ohayogozaima (Good Morni-)-…" He paused, frozen stiff by the sight that lay before him. A machine…no, several machines. All beeping, and bleeping, and pumping in a shallow, discordant chorus that made a mockery of life.

"Ah…you're here…" Turning, Naruto saw that Kiba and Shino had arrived there before him, both sitting in chairs on either side of the half-dead Hyuuga's bed, The Inuzuka's sides wrapped in bandages. Naruto swallowed, before stepping forward. He opened his mouth to talk, but no sound came out.

"The muscles in her heart are torn, and many of her internal organs have 2nd degree chakra burns, they say she's stable, but in critical condition, as it is they can't guarantee she'll live." Shino said, his voice as flat and emotionless as ever, and yet, Naruto could tell he was angry. The accusatory glance told it all.

'_This is your fault. You egged her on. You motivated her to get up. If it weren't for you, then she wouldn't be in this condition!'_

"How…how long…how long until she gets better…" Naruto asked, his voice failing him.

"Gets better? Gets better!? Uzumaki, as it is, even if she does survive, she may never fully recover. This kind of damage…she may be crippled for the rest of her days. Her body too weak to even support itself. Uzumaki, there is a very likely chance that, one way or another, Hyuuga Hinata will never leave this bed for the rest of her life!" The Aburame admonished, staring Naruto in the eye, having stood up mid-way through his rant. His hive buzzed angrily beneath his skin.

"Shino! Calm down! You…you know she hates it when we fight…" Kiba said pleadingly.

'_To see someone hurt like this…something I've never seen before…I've only ever known 'alive' and 'dead'…this 'in-between'…it's unbearable! I can't even imagine what it's like…to lie, helpless until the ends of days…I've always…just 'got better'…'_

"Kiba…Shino…I…I have faith in Hinata, she is strong, she proved that today. I have faith that, with that strength she will pull through…and if that strength is not enough…I will gladly lend her mine…we all will…I swear on the blood that flows through these veins! I will not let her die!" Naruto said, clenching his fist.

"…So be it…" Shino said, sitting back down again.

"I would like nothing better than to stay here, by her side…but…Neji…he's not the kind of guy I can just take unprepared…if Hinata-Chan wakes up…or if she takes a turn for the worse…send Akamaru, and your Kikaichu(destruction bugs) to fetch me…should either of those happen I want to be here"

"Yeah…you got it"

"Hn"

Nodding, Naruto walked turned back to the door.

"Hinata-Chan…" He muttered beneath his breath. No one noticed the way the prone Hyuuga's muscles briefly clenched.

'_Naruto-Kun…' _

XXXXX

A somewhat sobered Naruto headed down the hospital corridor, an unsettled look upon his face.

'This…something…a bad feeling…'

"You're here to? Mendoukusai (troublesome)…"

"Ah…Shikamaru…you here to see Chouji?" The blonde asked, earning him a grunt from the lazy Nara.

"Yeah…then you're here for Hyuuga-san"

"I just came from Hinata-Chan's room, I was going to check on Geji-Mayu(fuzzy eyebrows) now, before I go for training"

"Tch, training already? I'd argue why that's wrong, but…yeah" Shikamaru muttered, stifling a yawn.

"Huh…I'm surprised you don't have more energy, considering how much sleep you get"

"Yeah? Well…I save it for when it counts"

'Like running away from that troublesome mother of mine'

"'sigh' Since I haven't anything better to do I may as well go with you…" The spiky haired Genin drawled.

As the pair walked, Naruto couldn't help but shudder.

"What's wrong with you?" Shikamaru asked.

"I don't know I just…I think maybe we should hurry" Naruto quickly replied, earning a 'humph' from his companion.

"Tch, you're just trying to make me run, aren't you?"

"What? No, I just-"

"Wait…isn't that Lee's room there?" Shikamaru asked, pointing to an open door. "…Leading inside…is that…'sand'"

"…Sand? Kuso (Crap/Shit)!!" With Naruto taking the lead, the pair stormed into the room, exposing Lee's would-be murderer.

"Gaara!"

"Kagemane no Jutsu (Art of Shadow Imitation)" Connecting his shadow to his own, Shikamaru stepped backwards, forcing Gaara away from Lee's bed.

"What were you about to do?" Naruto demanded.

"I was going to kill him" Gaara said, his voice perfectly calm.

"Why would you do that? You won the fight! Do you have some kind of grudge against him?" Shikamaru asked.

"I do not. I'm going to kill him…because I want to kill him"

"Is that what your Oni-Zenshin tells you?" Naruto asked, causing Gaara to cock his head quizzically.

"It's what Okaa-San (Mother) wants."

'Okaa-San? Does he…?'

"If you get in my way…I'll kill you too"

"If you try to kill him, or anyone else from Konoha (Leaf), I won't hesitate to kill you," Naruto replied coldly. "If you try to kill me, I won't hesitate to act in self-defense".

'_What's with Naruto? It's not normal for him to act so seriously…even in situations like this, he's normally yelling and ranting by now…'_

"You would? Right now, you are weak, weaker than myself, the weakest amongst all of us. Is that why you protect the Ningen (humans)? Are you that reliant on the powers of others?"

"You're wrong…I protect them, because they are my precious people, and because I have the power to do so."

"Protect???"

Flashback

"_The sand protects you out of love"_

"_You have a very special power, Gaara"_

"_I think the sand is the embodiment of Nee-Chan(Sister)'s love."_

_Flashback end_

"Fool. These people…these _things_ will not reciprocate your misguided affections. You're _love_ for others…makes you weak…they _will_ abuse that weakness…you…Graah!!" The sand-ninja let out a cry as his head throbbed, memories flashing unbidden before his eyes."

"Is that…what you believe?"

"What of you? What will you do when your 'precious ones' move to betray you? To them, you are but a tool, something to be discarded once it is no longer useful. Who will you protect then? Who will you love then?"

"Is that…what happened to you?"

"Before I was even born I was bound to a spirit of Sand, I was to be Sunagakure's most powerful 'weapon'. By the age of six, I was deemed 'unwieldy', and my father…no, the Kazekage ordered my assassination…of course…I proved to be a little too…permanent…for his liking" Gaara leered.

"Fear…and power…some things lead to the other that way" Shikamaru muttered.

"To them I am simply an object o the past that they wish would disappear. Then Why do I exist, why am I alive? When I thought about this I could find no answer…but you need a reason to be alive, otherwise it's the same as being dead."

'This guy…what is he…' 'I…I understand…how that feels…'

"Then I came to a conclusion. 'I exist to kill everyone besides myself.' I found relief within the fear of death, never knowing when someone would try to assassinate me. By killing the assassins, I understood the reason for living."

"Which was?"

"Fighting only for yourself, loving only yourself, if you think that everyone else exists simply to allow you to experience that feeling, nothing is better than that world. As long as there are people in this world for me to kill, and I can continue to enjoy this feeling of living, my existence will not vanish"

'He…he closed off his heart…to shield himself from the pain…what I hid with a grin…he hid with blood…it would take so little for our lives to be reversed…'

"Gaara…what will you do should you succeed? When all the world is awash with blood, and you are but a speck in that sea…who will prove your existence then?"

"You…what will you do…when the whole village rings with the sounds of terror?"

"I will not stand by while you kill the people of this village!" Naruto threatened.

"…Very well done. I will not…exceed my influence. But…I fight the Uchiha in a month…there will be _nothing_ that you can do to stop that from happening…" Gaara said, before walking out of the room, much to Shikamaru's shock.

'What!? He broke my Kage Mane no Jutsu like it was nothing!'

Once the manic Suna-Nin had left, Naruto let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"That was close…even though the predecessor was weak…no, that never mattered in the first place." The blonde muttered, earning him a peculiar look.

"What are you talking about?" The Nara asked warily.

"Huh? Ah, nothing-ttebayo!" Naruto said, waving his arms dismissively.

'_But still…to think a guy like Gaara was scared off by Naruto…he could have killed us there and then, but he chose to leave…Naruto…there's a lot more to you than meets the eye…'_

"Ah, Naruto. There you are." A certain, one-eyed Jounin said, popping his head through the door.

"Kakashi-Sensei! Why are you here?" The blonde asked excitedly.

"Actually, I wanted to have a word with you…in private."

"Um…is this because I wanna maim and torture Neji? Coz I swear not to touch him until we fight, dattebayo!"

"No, no, nothing like that. I'll explain when we get there." The copy-Nin said, smiling.

XXX

Naruto blinked as he entered the room, its occupants taking him by surprise.

"Ojii-San? Kyoujo-Nee-Chan? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Ah, Naruto, we've been expecting you"

"Um…is this going to require me to take my pants of? Coz…I'm not wearing any underwear" The blonde said sheepishly.

"You're right, I do want to kill him. I owe you twenty" Anko said, handing the Sandaime some money.

"Waah!! You're not whoring me off are you-ttebayo? Ojii-san how could you!!" Naruto demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at the aged Sarutobi.

"No, no, Naruto-kun, nothing like that, we just want to have a little talk"

"Oh…" He said, walking over to the wall. "What about?"

"During the second exam…a few things did _not_ go according to plan. We'd like to ask you about these things"

"Why don't you ask Sakura-Chan, or the Teme? They're smarter than me, and probably remember more" The blonde replied, before stepping up ontothe wall.

'_He still does that exercise randomly…sometimes I think he just does it to distract everyone else'_

"Be that as it may-"

"What the hell's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Of everyone in the village, only you have the required…'in-depth' knowledge about the subject."

"Oh, Youko(demon fox) stuff" Naruto said, causing everyone else in the room to stiffen suddenly.

"Things pertaining to _that_ matter, yes" The Sandaime said.

"Hey, we're all among friends here, and Kyoujo-Nee-Chan's cool, so what's the problem?" The fox-boy asked, walking on the sealing by that point.

"If you're that comfortable about it…"

"I am what I am, or something like that. So…is this about Kyoujo-Nee-Chan being a vampire?" He asked, 'standing' so that his face was level, albeit upside-down, with Anko's own.

"I'm a what? Oh, right…that. Sheesh, can't you take a joke?"

"Kyoujo-Nee, when it comes to my blood, I never joke." The blonde said, his voice taking a serious tone.

"Hmm? What did you do Anko?"

"Ugh, okay, fine. At the start of the exam, blonde-brat here was pissing me off, so I chucked a kunai at him. Just as I had planned, it grazed his cheek. I the used my 'magic Tokubetsu Jounin(Special Jounin) speed' and went behind him, and licked some of his blood off. Can't a girl have a little fun?"

"Fetish more like it. Ero-Kuchitsuki!!('Vampire' lit. 'stabs with mouth')" Naruto grinned.

"Why you little-!" With a yell, the snake-wielder lunged at the blonde, strangling him from his upside-down perch.

"Hokage-Sama, are you sure that they're not related?" Kakashi wondered aloud.

"Insofar as I know…" The Sandaime muttered, taking a puff on his pipe.

"Anko, kindly stop asphyxiating my student" Kakashi said, flipping out his copy of Icha-Icha.

"Fine" She pouted, dropping the blonde to the floor.

"Itai!! You know, the voices in my head say I should punish you for that. Methinks a good spanking is in order!" Naruto grinned mischievously, only to have the trench-coat wearing Kunoichi punt him into the wall.

"Hah, try again when you've grown a pair"

"Anko. Don't even tempt him" The Sandaime warned. "'Ahem' Back to the meeting! Naruto, why is it so serious that Anko 'partook of your blood'?"

"What, you think demon's blood's normal? Hells no."

"Wait, demon's blood?" Anko asked skeptically.

"Haven't you heard? I am the great and powerful Kyuubi No Youko!! Fear my Wrath, Bwahahahaha!"

"Naruto, stop evil-laughing" The Sandaime scolded, smacking the blonde across the head with his newspaper.

"Itai!"

'He's really in the running to become a Chuunin?'

"Answer the question, what are the effect of drinking your blood?" Kakashi demanded.

"Eh? Well, it can heal wounds and stuff…although the more badly hurt you are, or larger you are, the more blood it takes. Also, it forms a weird psycho bond between us or something." Naruto said, jumping back onto the ceiling.

"What kind of bond?"

"Well…I always know where you are…like, exactly where you are compared to where I am, um…well that's all I know of, "

"What about that Kage Bunshin then?" Anko demanded.

"Oh that, well I knew where you were, so it wasn't that hard make a Bunshin appear next to you,"

"Really? Most fascinating" The Sandaime said, scribbling something down in a notepad.

"What about…the other stuff? I know you where in my head!"

"Um…yeah…that was my Bunshin, he just used Kitsunepou: Odori Yume no Jutsu (Fox Art: Art of the Dream Dance) on you, didn't Ojii-san explain all this to you?"

"I had presumed you wouldn't want me blurting everything, and I have no idea what parts you see as 'important'."

"Whatever, basically you where asleep, I…that is my Bunshin went into your dreams and talked to you. The seal was all you"

"You can…invade peoples dreams" Anko asked incredulously.

"Um…yeah. It's a basic Kitsune technique."

"Yeah…well…stay out of my dreams in the future! Some of them aren't suitable for children" She muttered.

"I'm also a master of Kowaku no Jutsu (Art of seduction) so…I can imagine things that are illegal for me to even draw pictures of" Naruto said offhandedly.

"That's beside the point! Stay out of my dreams!"

"Meh, fine. I swear on Kakashi-Sensei's face I won't invade your dreams" Naruto said, closing his eyes in mock theatrics.

"You…what!?"

"Naruto…my warning still stands" Kakashi said, reaching for his Hitai-Ate (Forehead Protector).

"That just goes to show how serious I am"

"Okay then, we seem to have gotten a little off-track here."

"Lemme guess, you wanna know about Hebi-Oban (Cranky old snake bitch), right?"

"Hebi…"

"…Oban?"

"…"

"GWAHAHAHAHAH!!!"

"Tehehehe"

"Hohohoho…oh Naruto…only you…" The Sandaime said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"What? When we first met he was in the body of a woman, and he always talks like a woman so…" (In Japanese, there are certain forms of speech normally reserved for specific genders; Orochimaru canonically talks with a polite, formal, female form of speech)

"Enough of that. What can you tell us of when you're team encountered Orochimaru?" The Sandaime asked.

"Oh, that. Well, we're just cruising along, kicking ass, when Hebi-Oban comes swooping in out of no-where, and blew me away with a gust of wind. Next thing I know, I'm in the belly of a snake, and I can feel some freaky-assed chakra getting flung about. I reacted naturally, and brought out Keiri (Executioner-Zabuza's sword), killed the snake and went running to my team. Teme's there, about to hand over the scroll like a coward, but it didn't matter coz I'd switched the scrolls with Kage Bunshin when no-one was looking, I kick Teme out of the road, my clone fails to kill the Hebi and goes 'poof'," Naruto explained, complete with hand gestures and sound effects. "So then I'm all 'rawr' and he's all 'kukuku, you suck, I rock', he bitches about how it sucks to be human and all…although I'm fairly sure he thought he was talking to Tsuku-Sama, anyway he does this crappy seal on me that hurt like a bitch, and sucked away all my Youki (demonic energy), and that knocked me out. While I'm asleep I blow up his crappy seal, and fry all my chakra coils in the process, I wake up and find Teme's gone all Emo-Demon, thanks to a tête-à-tête with Hebi-Oban's tongue, Teme kicks some Oto (sound) ass, and calms down when Sakura-Chan starts crying. Long story short, Teme's Hebi's bitch, and I can't stop laughing" Naruto finished, not even pausing to take a breath. "So? What do you think?"

"…A very…'unique' form of recounting…" The Sandaime conceded, rubbing his brow.

"Did Orochimaru say _why_ he gave Sasuke the Curse Seal?" Kakashi asked.

"When he fought me, he said that he was 'perfect candidate to be his successor'…" Anko murmured.

"Successor? He seeks an heir?" Kakashi asked.

"No…Orochimaru was always someone who sought to transcend life and death…he is not the kind to prepare for retirement, so to speak" The Sandaime said.

"My guess is, he want the Teme's eyes for something" Naruto said.

"What gives you that impression?"

"Well…when we fought, he made a couple of weird comments about eyes…it made sense at the time, but I guess the memory it went with slipped away or something…"

"What do you mean 'slipped away'?"

"Well, I'm absorbing Tsuku-Sama's memories, yeah? Well I can't get them all at once, or else I'd just become a copy of Tsuku-Sama, and that'd be pointless. So His memories slip into mine when I'm asleep and stuff, and I recall them as my own if there's a memory specifically associated with what I'm experiencing…There's this one memory that keeps slipping up that has something to do with the Sharingan…but it keeps slipping away again, in the end, all I can remember is something about a thief…" Naruto said, causing the other's present to glance at one another.

"The Sharingan has been described as thieves eyes, due to how they can copy Jutsu…" Kakashi said

"Some might even call you a 'thief' if they knew where you got your Sharingan" The Sandaime said, glancing at Kakashi.

"That's not the point. This means that, at some point in the past, Orochimaru encountered the Kyuubi" Anko said.

"Well, assuming Tsuku-Sama's sleeping habits haven't changed in fifty years, it would have had to have been on a full moon, since Tsuku-Sama always sleeps until the full moon" Naruto said.

"Hmm…that might be worth noting…but this is irrelevant to the matter at hand. So we can conclude that Orochimaru's purpose in the village is to obtain Sasuke, or at least his eyes"

"Well…when I spoke to him in the preliminaries he sounded like he was pissed at you for not making him the Yondaime or something…" Naruto said, causing Kakashi and Anko's eyes to widen.

"The preliminaries?"

"He was there?"

"Um…yeah, he was disguised as the Jounin Sensei for the Oto-team. I smelled him so I figured I'd send a Bunshin to see what he wanted…he has a lot of issues…"

"Yes, I had a feeling that might be the case," The Sandaime muttered. "I'm grateful I always have a squad of ANBU nearby me at all times…still I wouldn't have thought Orochimaru to be someone motivated by a goal as petty as that…"

"He was always the kind of person who would try to accomplish as much as possible in one go," Anko said.

"Yes…his fanatic efficiency was legendary…"

"So what? He wants Teme's eyes, and he want revenge?"

"Perhaps…but how might he seek revenge?"

"Well he's got that 'two-faces' thing he does, maybe he'll just walk up to you and stab you?" Naruto asked, jerking his fist in demonstration.

"I had considered that, but he always preferred more elaborate plans, sometimes to the point of choosing style over simplicity…" The Sandaime replied.

"He might be planning a takeover, either by stealing Hokage-Sama's identity, or just invasion…" Kakashi offered.

"Yes, that sounds more like him, he would need a powerful army however…"

"Um…"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Well…there's something that's been bugging me…"

"What is it?"

"Gaara"

"Sabaku no Gaara? What about him"

"Well, I spoke to him at the hospital before I came here…he's a Jinchuuriki like me" Naruto said, causing the Sandaime's eyes to narrow.

"Go on"

"Well, amongst other things, most of which involved killing, he said that well…his father, the Kazekage (Wind Shadow), thinks making him was a big mistake, and keeps sending assassins after him…"

"I see…that is truly regretful…"

"But that's not the point, the point is; he's got this kid, who's capable of defending against…and probably killing ANBU…and he wants to get rid of him ASAP…then why did he send him to the Chuunin exam? He's the freakin Kage, and everyone probably hates Gaara…and I know that he's already sent him on at least two B-rank missions, then I doubt he's looking for an excuse to send him on harder missions, any possible reason to send Gaara here is undone by the fact that, as the Kazekage, he can just overturn any rules and stuff."

"So what you're saying is that the Kazekage has an ulterior motive for sending his son here."

"…yeah, whatever. Look, Gaara's like a ticking bomb, what I think is that he's hoping Gaara's gonna go off here!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Naruto, I think you're on to something!" the Sandaime said, excitedly.

"But, Hokage-Sama, that would suggest that Orochimaru has an alliance with Sunagakure," Kakashi said.

"Yes…but still, that is an occurrence not as absurd as it would first appear. You may not know this, but ever since the Yondaime Kazekage came to power, the number of missions Sunagakure (hidden sand) has received from the Daimyo (Feudal lord) of Kaze no Kuni (wind country) has dropped significantly. As it happens, we at Konohagakure often receive the majority of these missions instead. Kazekage-Dono possibly blames us for this loss of work and believes with us gone, Suna will profit."

"Sounds like a very reckless plan…" Anko said, warily.

"Should this prove true, do we have sufficient forces to fight off an army of both Suna, Oto, and a Jinchuuriki?" Kakashi asked.

"Normally, no. But since many of our men have been recalled, either to guard, or just enjoy the Chuunin exam, over 80 percent of our Shinobi population will be present should such in attack occur. But the Jinchuuriki…Naruto, you're the best judge for the Jinchuuriki's strength, how powerful would you say he is?"

"Well…he's always got his tail out in the shape of the gourd on his back so he never holds back, and since his Bijuu is the Ichibi no Shukaku, one tail's all he'll ever get. Shukaku's a Tanuki, and the only thing they're known for is shape shifting and overall asshole-ness."

"'ahem'"

"Right, well, he's got this Suna no Tate (Shield of Sand), that seems to automatically block most anything that comes near him, although something fast enough can go through it, or go right around it. Lee could when he opened some of those gates."

"Hmm?"

"From what I know, it's controlled by his basic survival instincts, going by an innate danger and motion sense thingy some demon's have, so he can't just turn it off or anything, and you can't trick it. Even if you get past that, he's then got that Suna no Yoroi (Armor of Sand) That's hell to break, and he can reform at will. If what that Kankurou guy said is true, then he's virtually never felt pain, so if you hurt him, he's gonna feel it. In terms of attack, he mostly seems to do crushing moves with his sand, although I suppose it wouldn't take much for him to make something sharp or pointy…that's mostly what I know"

"What about the sand itself? Exactly how does he control it?" Kakashi asked.

"Huh? Oh, well, going by intuition, Tsuku-Sama's memories, and what I know myself, he uses his own earth chakra to control the density and shape o the sand, and he uses the wind chakra of the Shukaku to move the sand about. Mind you, I don't even get what half of that means its just what I know."

"I see…Hokage-sama, remind me, what elements have the advantage against wind and earth?"

"Hmm? That's fire and lightning respectively, if we delve into advanced elemental chakra theory then-"

"That won't be necessary, Hokage-sama."

"…very well then…" The Sandaime all but pouted.

"What are you getting at Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Sasuke, like all Uchiha, has an innate affinity with fire type Jutsu…also, observing how quickly he mastered the Tanraku no Jutsu, I suspect he may have a natural lightning affinity"

"I see…you wish to train Sasuke-kun specifically to defeat Gaara…"

"It would not be out of place, especially considering he is Sasuke-kun's first opponent"

"I see…Anko, any comments?"

"It could be dangerous pitting a Jinchuuriki in a fight to the death, if this kid can beat ANBU, then what hope does a Genin have?"

"True…Naruto, what do you think?"

"Well, Geji-Mayu nearly beat Gaara, and he's still a Genin. The only reason Gaara's so hard is because of his defense, he's already released his tail, so he can't get any stronger…although I haven't actually seen him use that much Youki so I got no idea what his stamina's like, he's got demon healing, but from what I've seen in his fight against Geji-Mayu it only takes effect when he's in a state of rest…so you gotta beat him in one go, or else he'll just get back up a few minutes later, and start fighting again in about an hour."

"I see…so speed and efficiency are the key factors to winning"

"Er…yeah…"

"…There may be a minor problem, though Hokage-Sama" Kakashi said

"What kind of problem?"

"The kind of training Sasuke will require…I would…"

"If its what I think it is Kakashi-Sensei, then don't worry"

"Naruto…"

"You focus on Sasuke, Me and Sakura-Chan…we can handle our own training. After all…our opponents are…_only_ human"

"I see…thank you Naruto. But you will not need to train alone, I should be able to find someone suitable to take over you're training for the time being, yours and Sakura's."

"…Thanks" Naruto murmured.

"Good, now that that has been taken care of," The Sandaime said. "What of the Curse Seal?"

"Eh? What about it?" Naruto asked.

"You claim to have some inside knowledge about the nature of the seal, and how it works," He explained.

"Oh. Well, as I said, it's similar to the Bijuu seal handed down a while after the Bijuu were created, and-"

"Please wait a moment, the Bijuu were created? By whom?" Sarutobi asked.

"Eh? The god's of course, well, three of the gods anyway. It was a farewell party between them…mind you; it was also the last time the three of them where together at all. There was Tsukiyomi no Mikoto god of the Moon, Amatarasu Oomikami, goddess of the sun, and Susano'o no Mikoto, god of storms and seas. Each of them gave a precious object of theirs to the others, Susano'o a necklace, and a naginata (Japanese halberd), Amatarasu a sword and a spear, and Tsukiyomi a mirror and a stone. With these objects, each of them crafted three powerful entities out of them, making nine in total, to rule over various domains of the world. These were the Bijuu. Of course, they knew that these entities would eventually stray from their designated path, be it through greed, melancholy, or sheer boredom, so they also sent down nine Ikou no Gu (Tools of Power). These where to act as a 'failsafe' should a Bijuu ever either get out of hand, or seek death. These Ikou no Gu worked by synchronizing the existence of the Bijuu with the tool, sealing it away, and then it was to be used to synchronize the tool with a newborn human; the tool would become part of the human, and the Bijuu would still be in the tool. As the child grows, the Bijuu is assimilated into the child, so that the child is leading a 'dual existence' simultaneously as a human, and as a Bijuu, with the powers of both. Once the human part dies, the Bijuu part is released to do as it sees fit, and the respective Ikou no Gu then reappears somewhere within that Bijuu's domain. Get that?"

"It seems incredulous…but it does make sense…"

"Okay then, now the Mark works in a similar way, it synchronizes the marked human with the Bijuu that marked it, establishing a connection between them, and changing the marked body so that it can channel and produce the same power that the Bijuu has. A form of Youki as most would call it, unique to each Bijuu."

"So this mark…it turns us into miniature Bijuu?" Anko asked, clutching her neck.

"Not exactly, it turns you into…aspects? Or rather, 'lesser demons' might be more appropriate. You don't gain tails, and your soul remains…mostly human, or rather, it becomes a human soul with a fragment of a demon's soul attached, but the demon's soul is still your soul? It's…complicated…"

"That's okay, I think we understand"

"Of course, between you and the Teme, it's the first time I've ever actually seen a Mark in person, all the rest is just memories mostly…but the point is that using it and not using it doesn't make a difference to the person using it. But if you try and seal it away…well, if you seal a soul, or anything with a soul, without sufficient synchronization, then whatever you seal will just grow in power to survive, and it will eventually overpower the seal, and re-emerge that much more powerful…something that is very important to never forget. Also to actually get synchronization, you're going to need a really good medium, something more powerful in its existence than the soul you're sealing…either some sort of powerful artifact, or an equally powerful Youkai (spiritual being)."

"Hmmm…. I see…" Sarutobi muttered, jotting down more notes.

"Although…I just don't see how Hebi-Oban could mark Teme! I admit he used some weird-assed purple chakra, but it was still human chakra, and his body was still a human body. He didn't smell like a Bijuu, or even a demon, and I could smell Gaara a mile away…it just doesn't add up…"

"Yes, that is a matter we will need to investigate, however, that is a matter for another time"

"So…umm…if that's all, can I go now? Coz remembering Tsuku-Sama's memories always makes me hungry and I haven't been to Ichiraku in over a week…so…"

"Yes, that is all, you may go now" The Sandaime said, waving at the door.

"Cool, See ya Ojii-san, Kakashi-sensei, Ero-Kuchitsuki" Naruto waved, before jumping out the window.

"Doesn't he ever use the door?" Anko asked.

"No, I actually have a theory in that, as Shinobi skill increases, the implementation of orthodox procedures decreases and-" The Sandaime said.

"A simply 'no' would have sufficed" She scowled, cutting him off.

"So be it"

"So, the Gaki (brat/kid), is what he says true?" She asked.

"Well, most of what he says about sealing I can verify, either knowing it myself, or the more advanced stuff, especially that pertaining to soul-sealing, I distinctly remember Yondaime-kun often discussing towards the end of his career." The Sandaime replied.

"And yet…it's hard when it's coming out of _his_ mouth…" Kakashi said.

"What you mean is, you find yourself torn between treating him like the Kyuubi, and treating him like a Genin" Sarutobi said.

"Something like that, yes…" He muttered, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head.

"I find that, in situations like just now, that is when to treat him like the Kyuubi, but everywhere else, then he is a Genin, and you're student. Don't worry, I'm sure as he grows older it won't seem so strange to see him shift between roles" The Sandaime said consolingly.

"But still…I feel he's too eager to have Sasuke use the Curse Seal…ethic aside, I don't think Sasuke should have that kind of power right now…for him to suddenly leap ahead in what he can accomplish…he might get a bit…impatient to say the least"

"Thoughts of his brother dwelling on his mind?"

"No, he's actually gotten somewhat better at that…however…I just don't like where this whole situation is going" Kakashi admitted.

"'Sigh' at times like this, all once can do is watch, and prepare for the worst" Sarutobi said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Wow…this came out longer than I expected…yeah, so many things have been officially revealed. The origin of the Bijuu I derived from a Japanese legend about how, before leaving heaven, Susano'o and Amatarasu gave each other a sword and a necklace respectively, with the challenge to turn them into people. Amatarasu made three beautiful women from Susano'o's sword, and he then made five handsome and strong men from her necklace. Amatarasu then claimed the men as hers, since they were made from her necklace, a big fight broke out, and they never saw each other again. At a separate incident, Tsukuyomi killed a goddess favored by Amatarasu (because he thought that vomiting up a feast to eat was just plain wrong), a fight broke out, and they refused to ever look at the other's face again (which is why the sun and moon are never seen together…in Japan anyway, it happens a lot where I live)

Ps. A cookie to anyone who can guess, and name the nine items the Bijuu were crafted from, they were all referencing existing Japanese legendary artifacts.


	27. Out of the Frying Pan, and into the Fire

Chapter 27

Out of the Frying Pan, and into the Fire.

_The fox, hawk, and cherry blossom part ways, to meet again in a moons time. The dark side of the cherry blossom simmers beneath the surface, while the fox meets the toad. Unseen, the hawk flies about the scarecrow, wherein speed is of the essence._

XXXXXXX

Junjou Mugen stood before the cage of his predecessor, his tail swishing impatiently from side to side.

"**Kit, you seem troubled. What ails you?" **Tsuku asked, his face inches away from the boy's own.

"Hinata…"

"**You're mate?"**

"Hai…she is…she was injured…"

"**You fear for her life?"**

"She will **NOT **die, I **won't **allow it!" Mugen snarled. "However, the one who struck her down, I have sworn to defeat him…if need be, kill him."

"**So then what troubles you?" **The fox-spirit asked, reaching out to stroke his successors cheek.

"There have been…many things occurring recently…another of the Nine has appeared,"

"**Oh? Who?"**

"Sabaku no Gaara…he holds claim to the title of Ichibi no Shukaku. He is…he has all but abandoned his humanity…he's more Oni-Zenshin than anything else. He seeks to prove his existence by slaying every mortal in the world."

"**Shukaku…you do not fear the Ichibi (One-tail) do you?" **Tsuku asked, narrowing his eyes at the blonde.

"I do not, however my companion…Uchiha Sasuke, he has been chosen to fight with Shukaku…although his body is still human, Shukaku has most…if not all of his power, only his stamina would be limited"

"You fear or the life of your companion"

"It is a public fight, a show of prowess. I have an unspoken oath not to interfere,"

"**Bah, foolish kit. I have told you innumerable times; our kind is not invincible. Shukaku is the same age as you, correct?"**

"Give or take twenty moons, he is…of course, I must have faith in the abilities of my companion. Did I tell you that he was marked?" Naruto asked.

"Marked? For him to gain our favor he must be truly capable indeed. Who was it that marked him?" Tsuku asked, leaning in close against the bars.

"It is a most curious thing…the one who marked him, although in possession of…unseemly power, was nonetheless human."

"**Ningen **(Human)**? A Ningen should not…nay, cannot place a mark of power on another human! I have only known of one with such an ability and he died a great many moons ago. Tell me of this…'Ningen'"**

"He was a man of great prowess, when we fought he was in control of the entire dance. He has a blood pact with snakes, possesses a most extraordinary scent, and gives off a peculiar purple chakra…it is this purple chakra that his mark has bestowed upon the Uchiha"

"**Purple you say? Peculiar indeed…what more do you know?"**

"He is known by the name 'Orochimaru', and seems to have originally came from Konohagakure (hidden leaf), however he has been deemed a traitor. I suspect Shukaku's presence here may also be his doing"

"**Orochimaru? A most peculiar name for a most peculiar fellow, and not one that I would expect to hear…you would best be wary of this snake-bearer, he may yet yield a most dark crop of secrets…"**

"…Between the snake, Shukaku, and these past events…I can't help but foresee turmoil over the horizon…" Naruto muttered, his tail swishing idly.

"**Turmoil is forever just over the horizon, what matters is if you run, or walk towards it. My only advice is to trust in your own feelings, a Kitsune **(fox)**'s intuition is not something to be disregarded at whim" **Tsuku's deep voice rumbled, a tail whipping out to embrace the boy around his waist, sending a jolt down the blonde's spine.

"A-Arigato (Thanks)…Tsuku-Sama…" Naruto mumbled incoherently, his mind already floating in a sea of chaotic madness.

XXXXX

Kakashi smiled as he walked in on his team, a mere two-and-a-half hours late.

"Yo" He announced, appearing atop the bridge's rail in a 'poof'.

"You're late!!" His pink and yellow haired Genin exclaimed, although all three where glaring at him accusingly.

"Well you see, I was on my way here, when I came across a basket full of eggs, so I sat down to count them all, but once I'd finished I stood up, and accidentally knocked the basket over, half the eggs broke, and only a quarter hatched afterwards. I guess I've learned my lesson" Kakashi chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"LIAR!" The voices in his team indicted.

"Don't say that. Now then, I have a very important announcement to make"

"Eh? What kind of announcement?" Sakura asked. Kakashi couldn't help but notice Naruto's subtle nod.

'_Ah, he knows what I'm here to say…I suppose that's his way of re-assuring me that he doesn't mind…'_

"Now then, as all three of you have progressed to the finals of the Chuunin exam, there is a very likely possibility you will fight one-another during the course of the tournament." He said, noticing how Sakura flinched, and Naruto glanced at Sakura.

"Ah…yeah…that's right" She muttered, downcast.

'_To fight Sasuke-kun or Naruto…could I win? Would I even want to?'_

"First of all, I'd like to say 'Don't hold back', you are not there to win fights, but to show off, defeating your teammate does not necessarily prevent them from advancing to Chuunin, especially since none of you will be fighting each other until at least the second round. Second of all, In the interest of fairness, I will not be teaching all of you, instead, each of you will be receiving private instructions separate from one-another" Kakashi explained, eliciting a gasp from Sakura, and a nervous glance from Sasuke.

"But…for one of us to receive private tutoring from you, while the others miss out…that's hardly fair, is it?" Sakura demanded, her fist clenching uncontrollably, causing Kakashi to smile.

'_It is good she has such fighting spirit…as recent as a few weeks ago she wouldn't have even thought of that. She's grown…'_

"It may seem that way at first, but I assure you, the Shinobi who'll be teaching the two that I don't are both well known, and one-on-one they both are capable of defeating me…"

"Hehe, seems like the number of Shinobi who can kick sensei's but just keeps getting bigger and bigger, right Sakura-Chan?" Naruto asked, a huge grin on his face.

"Ah, Naruto-Kun, your words stab at mine heart, hath you no faith in your sensei?" Kakashi wailed, monotonously in mock drama.

"Who will our instructors be?" Sasuke asked, his brow twitching in irritation at the blonde's antics.

'_I have no time for this monkey business. I must train!'_

"Hmm? Now that would be telling," The one-eyed Nin smiled. Earning him a triple-layered death-glare. "But…since you asked so nicely, I'll give each of you your meeting place, you'll have an hour to get there, so don't be late." Kakashi explained, handing each of them a slip of paper. "Now be a good ninja and be sure to destroy the information once you've memorized it, wouldn't want this falling into the wrong hands." He smiled as each of the Genin scrutinized their paper.

'_Eh? Why would I be…' _

'_A place like that…'_

'_What kind of-!'_

"Alright, see you there" Kakashi said, before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"Why do I feel like my life suddenly become needlessly complicated…" Naruto muttered, glancing again at the paper, before swallowing it. "Hey, neat. Rice paper!" The blonde exclaimed, smacking his lips.

XXXXXXX

"Outside the west wall of the women's side of the public onsen (hot springs)…" Naruto muttered, kicking away a rock as he walked.

'_I don't know what kind of sensei would want to meet me there…and something tells me I don't want to know…'_

As he crossed the short bridge leading over the river, Naruto couldn't help but hear a perverse giggle reverberating through the air.

'_Don't be my sensei, don't be my sensei, please don't be my sensei…'_Taking a deep breath, Naruto approached the source of the noise; a man of tall stature, significant girth, and bearing a mane of wild, unkempt white hair.

"Hey, you!" Naruto said, earning him no response. "Hey! Hey! Hello-o?"

"Shhh, go away kid, you bother me" The man replied, not even turning away from his peephole.

'_Why I oughtta…!' _Scowling, Naruto formed a hand seal, bringing a single clone into existence beside him. Nodding once, the clone quickly changed itself into a tall, beautiful woman, with long, flowing blonde hair, before walking off around the corner.

XX

'_Hehehe, this is great. I'm so close to a breakthrough I can almost taste it…almost…, almost…' _Jiraiya stiffened suddenly as his eye caught sight of something he never wanted to see; another eye, a brilliant blue, staring back at him through the hole.

"And what do we have here?" The woman snarled angrily, a tone Jiraiya was a little too familiar with, and haunted his memories to this day"

"T-T-Tsunade-Hime! Wh-wh-wh-waaah!!" He cried, leaping away from the wall as though it where about to explode, which, as far as he knew, it was.

"Eh? Who's Tsunade-Hime (princess/lady)" A voice behind him asked.

"Only the most terrifying fiend ever to walk the Earth!" Jiraiya said, slowly walking backwards.

"Huh…never heard of her…" Naruto muttered, glancing at the trembling man before him.

'_Please, for the love of Inari-Daimyojin, don't let this be my sensei!' _

"Tch, kids these days…" Jiraiya muttered.

'_Weird…why hasn't Tsunade broken down the wall yet…come to think of it, why would she even be in Konoha in the first place?'_

"So…, uh…you the guy Kakashi-sensei sent?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

"Hmm? Kakashi? Ah, you must be the brat he asked me to baby-sit. Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't deal with kids," Jiraiya said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Don't deal with-and just who the hell do you think you are!?" Naruto demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at the white-haired man, only to get a dark, foreboding feeling as the man's face suddenly stretched in a grin.

"Haha! I'm glad you asked!" He said, hopping into an odd stance. Naruto stepped back as the man started to dance. "I am the terror feared all throughout the five Shinobi nations, a legend only spoken about in whispers! Mt. Myobokugama's Holy Master Sennin! The Gallant Jiraiya!!!" He declared, finishing his exaggerated dance.

"Oh…you're an actor, sorry, I guess I got the wrong guy" Naruto said, turning to leave.

"You ungrateful brat, does my legacy not precede me!?" The Gama (toad) Sennin (hermit/sage) demanded, causing Naruto to blink.

"Wait…Jiraiya…, Jiraiya…That's it!" Naruto exclaimed, thumping his fist on his palm. "You're the author of the Icha-Icha series!" He said, earning a broad grin from the eccentric ninja.

"That's my boy! I-wait a minute! Those books aren't suitable for a kid like you! You're underage" Jiraiya accused, causing Naruto to grin sheepishly.

"I kinda, sorta, stole it from Ojii-san." Naruto said, before suddenly becoming serious. "You're plot in itself is good, and your erotic content is graphic, but I find your female characters unrealistic, with only shallow, unbelievable personalities and back-stories, causing the story as a whole to drop in quality" Naruto declared, causing Jiraiya to scowl.

"Bah, and what would a masagaki like you know about women?" Jiraiya scoffed, turning his back on the blonde.

(masagaki-a child who involves him/herself in more adult-themed topics)

"Hah! I make a more convincing woman when I'm drunk than those cardboard cut-outs you call characters!" Naruto snarled.

"You little punk! You wanna go?" Jiraiya demanded, turning back around to stare Naruto in the eye.

"Yeah, I'll fight you! Anytime, anyplace!"

"Alright then, lets take this over to that field over there!" Jiraiya said, pointing to a mostly vacant meadow, occupied only by a few trees.

"You're on!!" Naruto declared, stomping after the man as he walked away.

XXXX

Sakura blinked at the building before her, before glancing down at the paper in her hand.

'_No.., no…this is definitely the right address…' _She let out another sigh before glancing back up again, _'No helping it I guess…'_Bracing herself, Sakura walked forward and into the building.

"Hello, welcome to Yamanaka Florists, how may I-Huh? Oh it's you Forehead Girl" Ino said, laughing from behind the counter of her family's store.

"Hey Ino-Buta (boar-pig), Sakura replied, glancing about the store. Although she'd never admit it, Sakura had always enjoyed coming into the Yamanaka shop; not for the sake of seeing her friend/rival, behind out of the sheer contentment emanated from the modest store. The air was always full of such zest that patrons where known to simply stand for hours on end just breathing in the organic concoction of pollen, admiring the intricate arrangement of the stock that was never the same way twice.

"Took you long enough to get here, come on, Tou-san (father)'s been waiting for you" Ino said, ushering the pink-haired Nin into the back of the shop.

"Huh? What? But I'm supposed to-"

"Yeah, Yeah, we know, haiyaku (hurry)! haiyaku!" The blonde ordered, pushing the bewildered Kunoichi forcefully along, and into an open room, pausing only to have her remove her shoes.

Sakura was surprised to see Inoichi, Ino's father sitting before her. He faced away from the doorway, and sat cross-legged on a fresh looking tatami (straw mat) floor, an iron pot placed within the hearth before him, and a stick of incense burning upon a mantle to his left.

"Ah, how good of you to join us, Haruno-san." The blonde-man said; his eyes closed in meditation. "I was beginning to believe you weren't going to turn up"

"Ah, gomennesai (Excuse/pardon me), demo (but)…I can't be any more than two minutes late" Sakura replied, bowing to the elder ninja.

"Ah, but it does not take much for two minutes to last for two lifetimes" Inoichi replied sagely.

"Er…yeah…" Sakura sweat dropped, turning to her friend for help.

"Just ignore him, he's always like that after a few cups of poppy-seed tea, I find its best to just pay attention to the parts that make sense" Ino whispered, glancing at her lucrative father.

"Poppy-seeds? You mean like opium?" Sakura asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Yeah, that's the stuff. He gets it imported from Kuni no Kusa (Grass Country) once a month, says it helps him relax." Ino shrugged.

"Er…yeah. So…uh...Yamanaka-San, I assume then that you are the mentor Kakashi-Sensei organized for me?" Sakura asked. The blonde man silently sipped his tea, before gesturing to the tatami floor in front of him. Understanding, Sakura knelt down onto the mat, with Ino sitting on the side.. When Inoichi poured her a cup of tea, she hesitated before accepting it. Turning it three times before taking a sip, and Inoichi's face lit up in a smile.

"Now then, Haruno-San, my daughter has informed me you have a most…unusual gift…"

"Uchinaru (Inner Voice)-Sakura…right?" Sakura replied, wiping the rim of the cup and passing it along to Ino. Inoichi nodded in agreement, but said nothing, gesturing for her to explain.

"Well…she's…, she's like another me, except…well she always knows exactly what I want, even if I don't know it myself." Sakura paused, and glanced at Inoichi, who gestured for her to continue. "She seems…unconcerned with others, all she really cares about is effecting our…that is, 'my' goals." As the cup was returned to her, Sakura paused to take another sip before continuing. "Normally, I only hear her voice if there's something I particularly want, although she tends to make seemingly random comments from time to time. Also, I've created a Genjutsu in which I…I suppose you could say 'unleash her' upon my opponents mind. The technique has never failed to render its target unconscious, with on exception wherein they dispelled the technique before it could take effect." Sakura finished, wiping the cup and handing it to Inoichi.

"…I see…if I may?" He asked, forming a hand seal. Sakura nodded, and Inoichi's chakra flared. "Shintenshin no Jutsu" Inoichi's body slumped, but remained upright, a feat of many years practice, aided with the ability to sleep while standing that he had found necessary for long missions involving guard duty.

"_I see…" Inoichi muttered, glancing around at the empty mindscape. "No sign of the host's soul, as usual. No sign of any mental landmarks either…how curious…" Looking around for a bit, Inoichi soon found what he was looking for._

"_**Shannaro!!"**_

XXX

Naruto stood, panting before the older man, his eyes burning with frustrated anger.

'_Shimatta (Damn it)!! We've been fighting for what seems like hours and I haven't landed a single hit on him! To make matters worse he hasn't used any Jutsu apart from Kawarimi no Jutsu (Art of Body Replacement), even Hebi-Oban (Bitchy old snake hag) used for Jutsu than this!!' _Naruto snarled as he slipped behind a tree; on of the few remaining obstacles that hadn't already been blasted, crushed or otherwise demolished.

"Come on! Is that all you've got? I thought I told you not to hold back!" Jiraiya called out to the blonde, staring directly at the tree he was hiding behind.

'_Holding back!? I'm giving him all I've got! Except…fine! I didn't want to use this, but he's left me no choice.' _Naruto closed his eyes for a brief moment, before quickly opening them again; slit red eyes staring out into the world, and an ethereal crimson tail swishing behind him. Letting out a guttural growl, Naruto dragged his claws along the bark of the tree, before darting out towards the white-haired man; bounding along on all fours.

"Now that's more like it!" Jiraiya laughed, bracing himself as the fox-boy drew closer at an alarming speed.

XXXX

Sakura blinked as she woke up, an odd feeling having come over her.

'_Right…Yamanaka-San went into my mind…I hope she didn't hurt him' _Raising her head, Sakura looked up at the blonde sitting across from her, his brow creased in contemplation. Finally, he spoke.

"You say you once ascribed Uchinaru-Sakura to the Id…I believe this initial assessment was most correct; from observing this presence I was able to discern that indeed, all it cares about is the fulfillment of base desires; food, sex, and aggressive impulses. It is amoral and egocentric, ruled by the pleasure–pain principle; it is without a sense of time, completely illogical, primarily sexual, infantile in its emotional development, and will not take "no" for an answer. Quite literally more beast than anything else." He explained, causing Sakura to blush furiously at his description.

"I…that is,"

"Relax, Haruno-San. That is perfectly normal, compared to the Id's of some, yours is quite tame." He said, waving his hand dismissively. "However, that it has its own metaphysical manifestation, nay, personification, in such a way that it is capable of communication, and almost a separate entity to yourself is a most…unusual circumstance. Tell me, has this 'Uchinaru-Sakura' ever tried to force you into doing something?" He asked, gazing at the pink-haired girl seriously.

"Well, no, she seems to know her restrictions and has never sought to act outside of those…or rather, I don't believe she is even aware of the possibility of doing so" Sakura replied, glancing about the room.

"That is good. Although I must say, it has a most terrifying presence; tell me, does anyone else in your family experience this phenomenon?"

"Iie (no), or at least, not that I know of. My family's always been fairly normal…then again, not even my teammates knew about her until I began practicing my Genjutsu on them…" Sakura admitted, causing Inoichi to stroke his chin thoughtfully.

"Yes…that will be something to investigate…nonetheless, I believe you have left something out."

"Huh? What?" She asked, her eyes wide with confusion.

"During your match against my daughter, she claims that, after she was forced out from your mind, you underwent a change; almost as though this Uchinaru-Sakura had taken over."

"I..I did? I don't actually remember most of what happened towards the end of the fight. After Ino-Chan used her Jutsu on me, I blacked out. The next thing I know I just knocked her out and won the match, and had a splitting headache" Sakura said, glancing at her friend.

"That is interesting…it reminds me of something I've noticed amongst Shinobi from time to time…no, not just Shinobi, even civilians have exhibited it; the ability to slip into a sort of 'berserker state', 'unleashing the animal within' some might call it." As the word 'animal' slipped out of his mouth, Sakura couldn't help but be reminded of Naruto; the way he looked when he used that awful red chakra. The way he leapt around on all fours, the way he snarled and growled, and raged at all around him, a visage that made her shudder.

"Yes…I know exactly what you mean."

"Now, normally, when people enter into such a state, they never stop, not until they have satisfied their every desire, tire out, or receive a sufficient shock that 'wakes them up', with that in mind it would not have been illogical for you to continue raging, most likely killing my daughter and doing several other things…most of which probably involving '_this and that'_ with the Uchiha boy" Inoichi said, causing Sakura to blush again.

"But I didn't, which is the important thing, right?"

"Oh yes, that is most important. It seems that, due to the unique nature of your 'beast within' that it is satisfied solely by the completion of your immediate goal, which may suggest a short attention span on your part, or else that, you yourself, even while berserk, keep a decently solid degree of control over your actions. Of course far too much of this is mere speculation based on an initial observation. If I remember correctly, there should be a certain family Jutsu that I have at my disposal that could be adapted to suit our needs…" Inoichi muttered, rising from his seat. "Come, follow me to the dojo. You too Ino-Chan, this will be an important experience for you in dealing with the less subtle elements of the mind"

"Hai, Tou-san" Ino replied, rising with her father.

XXXXXX

Naruto lay, barley conscious, on his back, panting heavily; a triumphant Jiraiya towering over him.

"You, my boy, are a genius!" Jiraiya exclaimed, holding his hand out, which the blonde readily accepted.

"Coming from you…I don't know…whether that's a good thing…or a bad…thing…" Naruto said, gulping down air between words.

"The sway of the hips, the slender thigh, those perky breasts! I've never seen such a perfect specimen of femininity!" Jiraiya exclaimed, his hands groping a non-existent pair of breasts before him.

"You remind me…of…Tsuku-Sama…" Naruto wheezed, doubling over on the grass.

"Hmm? Who's this 'Tsuku' person?" Jiraiya asked, suddenly very interested the prospect of a fellow purveyor of women.

"Kyuubi…no…Youko…" Naruto gulped, finally getting his breath back. "Ugh…although there's some things he's done that I doubt even you would do…"

"Hah! The Gallant Jiraiya trembles before no challenge!" He declared, striking a dramatic pose.

"Would you seduce a twelve-year old boy, just so you could steal his candy?" Naruto asked, causing Jiraiya to sweat drop.

"…no…, no I can't say I would"

"Well, that's Tsuku-Sama for you, if it has a pulse, he'll make it race" Naruto muttered, causing Jiraiya's eyes to gleam.

"…'if it has a pulse…' That line is brilliant! Do you mind if I use it for my latest book?" Jiraiya asked, procuring his notebook and scribbling furiously.

"Yeah, like I care," Naruto muttered, straightening his Hitai-Ate (forehead protector).

"But all that aside, you did manage to land a hit on me, even if I was…distracted. I proudly accept you as my disciple!!" Jiraiya announced increasing Naruto's annoyance.

'I'm starting to see why Ojii-san branded Oiroke no Jutsu as being so dangerous…'

"So, Masagaki-"

"Stop calling me that!!" Naruto demanded, "Like a pervert like you is any better!!"

"I am not a pervert," Jiraiya scoffed. "I'm…a SUPER PERVERT!!!"

"Super demented more like it, I had no idea a human could bend that way, have you no spine?!" Naruto demanded.

"With experience comes…unique talents that always seem to prove useful." Jiraiya assured, crossing his arms over his chest. "But what about you? How are you feeling?"

"Like the Akamichi family trampoline" Naruto groaned.

"You've got enough energy to complain so it can't be all bad, up for another round?" Jiraiya asked, punching the air theatrically.

"Hah…no. It's going to take a good half an hour for me to even think about moving, let alone fighting. Not unless you treat me to some ramen" Naruto said, gazing up at the Sennin imploringly.

"No. What's wrong with you? I keep hearing about what a stamina freak you are, and here you are, not a drop of chakra left in you."

"I got just about enough to perform a Sennen Goroshi(1000 years of death), wanna try it?" The blonde glared threateningly at the white-haired man.

"What about your 'other chakra'?"

"As it stands, I'd be surprised if my tail hasn't dropped off" Naruto muttered.

"That's not good enough. You do realize that you used up your Youki faster than your human chakra, right?"

"Yeah, so? That always happens." The blonde grumbled, earning him a smack across the head.

"Not good enough! The Kyuubi no Youko was regaled as having infinite chakra! At the very least you should have as much, if not more Youki than you do normal chakra!" Jiraiya exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air in exasperation.

"Tsuku only had unlimited chakra because it got replenished faster than he ever spent it!" Naruto retorted angrily.

"Well that's good to know!!!" Jiraiya shouted

"Glad to be of help!!!!" The blonde shouted back. Jiraiya sighed, before regaining his composure.

"Look, kid, from what I can see, you're only pulling Youki out of your tail, you've got a whole wealth of the stuff swimming around in the rest of your body, why don't you use it?"

"I don't know! I just pull it out, and take what I get. I've never really thought about where I pull it from, if I try and pull it out from anywhere else then all I get is normal chakra" Jiraiya paused, and looked at the boy, an idea forming in his head.

"Hey kid, try molding some chakra now" Naruto paused, before forming a hand seal. Nothing happened at first, but after a few seconds a dim, blue glow formed around him, before flickering out again, leaving Naruto lying groaning on the ground.

"…I feel like I'm going to be sick…" He muttered, his eyes fluttering as he struggled to maintain consciousness.

"Hmm…Kid, what kind of chakra did you just try to mould?" Jiraiya asked, propping Naruto up with his arms.

"…Both, I guess… whatever would come…it was like scraping a fishbone for meat…"

"Hmm…I think I see the problem…hey wakeup!" Jiraiya yelled, slapping Naruto across the face.

"Itai!! Why would you do that?"

"Look, kid. Pay attention. Your problem is that you don't seem to be able to discern between your human chakra, and your Youki." Jiraiya explained, holding Naruto up at eye level.

"Wha? But I've always been able to…get the one I want" Naruto muttered sleepily.

"No, all you do is pull it from different parts of your body. Of course, you always get human chakra if you try to pull it from your body, so you then pull it from the one part of your body that isn't human; your tail, and just spread it around a little. You following me?"

"Kinda…"

"…Now, normally I'd suggest just burning through all your chakra then pulling more out, but it looks like your body's still more or less human, meaning you can't reach any more chakra; you die."

"…Aw crap…"

"So what we need, is a means of drawing on the rest of your Youki…and only your Youki…hmmm…" Jiraiya dropped Naruto unceremoniously to the ground, before brining his hands up to his chin, contemplating.

"Kyuubi no Youko…the Bijuu of fire…" He muttered, ignoring the snoring fox-boy at his feet. "yeah…that just might work" Jiraiya said out-loud, a conniving grin upon his face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Just so you know, that was not Tsunade, it was Naruto using a slightly older Oiroke no Jutsu, with a Kage Bunshin. I just figured they're both blonde, female, and pissed at Jiraiya. 2+2 doesn't always equal 4.


	28. Just What We Sacrifice

Chapter 28

Just What We Sacrifice

_As a time draws near, each must face their darkness, and embrace it. The Sunny place grows dim, yet the fox refuses, doing all it can to undo the grudge-shadow's handiwork._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto let out a feral snarl, his whole body marred with his morning's exploits. In his hands, a Fuuma Shuriken that had, up until thirty seconds ago, been drenched with blood. He always found it weird how the blood didn't dissipate until after the Kage Bunshin did. His best guess was that the blood still had some lingering chakra inside it that kept it stable even after the clone no longer was. Still, all that mattered to the blonde on the subject was that it made cleaning after training a helluva lot easier to do.

Naruto let out a deep breath as his vulpine features receded; nails retracting, teeth withdrawing, and eyes reshaping with a barley audible 'plip' sound that always got on his nerves. Folding up his weapon, he put it back into a pocket seal before brushing himself off. Re-adjusting his hitai-ate, a trio of clones dropped down from the trees, each one eying him as though evaluating a work of art.

"You're reflexes are improving…but you still can't dodge more than half a meter in any direction, you have to work on your mid range jumping"

"You need to use your environment to your advantage more. Every rock, branch, twig and grain of dirt is your tool, remember that"

"You could try and increase the number of weapons that you can manipulate at any one time. At the very least you should be able to manage two Fuuma in each hand, one in your tail and one in the air at all times"

"Your footwork still needs work"

"Hai. Now get out of my face" Naruto said, walking away from his clones. Of recent, he'd began a little 'self-evaluation' during training, having concluded that it was impossible to notice little details like that in the middle of a frantic free-for-all, and unwilling to have anyone else supervise his morning mini-war.

The three clones shrugged, and leapt away, whilst the original made his way out of the forest. More than once on the trip he pounced on some hapless wildlife, devouring each catch in seconds. A little over a week had passed since he'd begun training with the Gama-Sennin, and between his sessions and his own Naruto had actually found himself burning through more energy than he ever thought possible, so as to compensate he'd been eating as much as four times his usual intake. Focusing mostly on protein and carbohydrates, with the occasional extra raid on somebody's vegetable patch. Needless to say Ichiraku had never seen such success, the forest was a little thinner for want, and a few haggard old housewife's had begun placing charms on their scarecrows, with the exception of the Hyuuga gardeners who refused to even admit that the thief had gone unnoticed by guards the whole time, although Hiashi had begun hearing rumors that the manor was haunted.

XXX

Kurenai let out a soft sigh as she glanced at her student's prone form, before turning to look out the window. The only sound in the room the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor, and the subtle hum of the ventilation system.

"Are you happy? In that dream world you're living in…is that why you don't return to us?" The crimson-eyed lady muttered, turning to stroke the girl's forehead.

"She dwells not in dreams, but upon the bridge across the Sanzu no Kawa (River of Three Crossings), she cannot cross for she has no money, but she cannot go back for her vessel is damaged…" A voice said, startling the Genjutsu mistress. Turning, she was all but shocked to see Uzumaki Naruto, standing before the bed.

"So much for doors…" She muttered, glancing at the window that was no longer in quite the same position it was earlier. "But still, I was not aware you were so philosophical"

"I'm told its one of my worst features" Naruto replied, grinning feebly. She let off a soft chuckle before returning her gaze to Hinata.

"At that time…" She began, causing Naruto to turn to her. "She had never looked so strong, so full of power and determination…"

"It is a sight I would like to see again…" Naruto replied, not making eye contact.

"The doctors say that there's only a thirty percent chance she won't make it" Kurenai offered hopefully.

"That's still to much for my liking…"

"She will recover" Kurenai said assuredly. "She's the kind of girl who pulls through when it matters most,"

"I only hope she realizes how much she does matter" Naruto muttered. Kurenai chose not to reply.

XXXX

"Come on boy! Put some backbone into it!" Jiraiya shouted, ducking below a clone before hurling it make at its maker. Cursing, Naruto flashed through some seals.

'_The desire to destroy, to make undone, consume my enemies so that I may become stronger; Katon…'_

"Katon: Karyuendan!!" The blonde yelled, a _thick_ stream of fire erupting from his mouth and seemingly engulfing his mentor.

"Wrong!" Jiraiya yelled, appearing behind the box-boy and delivering a sturdy kick to his ribs, sending him skidding across the ground before righting himself.

"Kuso!! If you'd just give me a chance to get used to the damned thing I might get it right!" The blonde swore, hurling a shuriken at the white-haired sage. "Kage Shuriken Bunshin no Jutsu!" One became many, and subsequently deprived a log of its bark, but Naruto had been expecting that.

'_There!' _Spinning on his heels, Naruto swiftly made a clone, and hurled it towards a bush, shape-shifting it into a Fuuma Shuriken in the process. Grunting, Jiraiya smashed right through it with his fist, the faux metal shattering, before dispersing into smoke and chakra. The toad sage deftly leapt into the air, just as a hidden explosive tag went off beneath him, the force of the blast propelling him further into the air, and throwing him off balance.

"Katon: Karyuendan!!!" Another torrent of fire billowed out; however fell short of the ninja author by a full half-meter.

"You see? You need to do it larger, faster, hotter!" The Gama-Sannin ordered, pushing off his hand as it made contact with the ground, and landing on one leg.

"**Katon: Karyuendan!!!" **A demonic voice roared, and another surge of flame, paler, hotter than the last tore through the air, disintegrating the log formerly known as Jiraiya.

"Getting there, but the technique's not the important part. Do you feel any extra Youki yet?" Jiraiya asked, stepping out from behind a now-branchless tree (those logs have to come from somewhere).

"Not a thing, that last one chewed through most of my tail as well" Naruto cursed, adjusting his posture unsteadily, having used up much of his chakra.

"Tch, some good you are, you expect to beat the Hyuuga genius like this?" Jiraiya scoffed, turning his back on the blonde.

"Urusai! I could do this if you just gave me some time to concentrate on working out the faults in the damned thing"

"You and me both know that's bullshit. Kid, you have three things going for you in a battle; insane quantities of stamina for your age, the ability to think on the fly, and the habit of learning from your mistakes. The more mistakes you make now, the less you'll make in future, when it really counts, because in a real fight. There is no room for mistakes, no second chances, and no mercy. Ever" As he finished his sentence, Jiraiya vanished, appearing next to Naruto in less than a second, and, before he could even blink, brought his foot down on his leg, breaking it just below the knee.

"**Kutabare (Fuck You)!!!" **Naruto snarled, a flash of Youki knocking the elder Shinobi to the ground. The blonde clenched his fist as the bones knitted themselves back together, the break healing in a matter of seconds.

Jiraiya raised his eyebrow at the sudden outburst, a slight grin finding its way onto his lips.

"Never assume a fight is over, ensure a fight is over." The Sannin said, before flipping off an errant grin. "I'll be going now, why don't you go home and break something?" Jiraiya taunted, before disappearing in a swirl of leaves, leaving an angry and frustrated little demon behind him.

"**KILL YOU!!!!" **The disgruntled Youko bellowed at the empty field.

XXXXXX

"**Shannaro!!!" **There was a terrific crack as Sakura's fist came down in the spot where, up until a few moments ago, Yamanaka Inoichi had been standing. Instead, the elder Nin was now driving a kunai towards her unprotected back, only to have her leap above his attack. Channeling chakra to her hand she used the ceiling as a springboard and pushed off, slamming down onto the ground once again, only to be sent staggering forward by a kick to the back.

"Haruno-san? You need to stay awake, remember?" The elder blonde asked, earning a glare from the Kunoichi.

"**I know! **It just doesn't seem real when I'm on the inside!" She complained, shifting her stance.

"Again" He said, and the two began clashing again. From the sidelines, Ino watched them fight, her face a cross between exhaustion and exasperation.

'_They're still going at it? I guess Tou-san can dodge really well…my whole body's covered in bruises' _The younger blonde let out a yawn as she stretched her arms, glancing once more to the fast decimated dojo.

'_Knowing my luck I'll be the one to clean up again… ah screw it, I'm taking a shower. I stink!'_ She wrinkled her nose, before standing, idly slipping away unnoticed.

XXXXXX

Sasuke stood rigid, unaware of even his own surroundings. His right hand twitched sporadically as he mulled over his new technique.

'_A 'blade' that can cut through anything…a thousand birds cry out as another soul departs for beyond…'_

'_**A fitting end for the traitor." **_His Oni-Zenshin whispered. Sasuke had the distinct feeling of cold hands clamoring across his body._** This 'blade' shall be the knife that pierces his heart. The cry of one-thousand birds shall herald your revenge.'**_

'_From the front…I want to stare into his eyes as his life slips away from his grasp. Not even those special eyes of his shall save him next time we meet'_

'_**Then only you will remain. The amalgamation of the Uchiha…the strength of an entire clan, contained within a single person. The power of a god!' **_Sasuke cringed as the voice bellowed, distorted and grotesque visions dancing before his eyes.

'_That…will not do. When the clan has been purged of the traitor it must be reborn. There must be an Uchiha clan' _He insisted, regaining metaphorical ground.

'_**Do you not understand? You are the Uchiha clan. Why divide what is mighty?'**_

'_If I should die…then the clan will die with me…if I should die before Him…'_

'_**You will not die before He'**_

'_I can not be to cautious…I should take precautions…leave an heir to finish should a fail to myself'_

'_**A helpless child…all to easy to kill for an expert in killing like Him…is THAT what you want to leave behind?'**_

'_The child would be protected!'_

'_**Against what? A man who, single handedly, wiped out 'the greatest clan of Konoha''**_

'_It will be different! They will be prepared!'_

'_**For how long? How long will they keep up their guard? A year? Five years? Ten? They will grow weary of guarding the child, make assumptions, cut corners'**_

'_They wouldn't dare!'_

'_**Oh but they would. You've seen yourself how they've treated the Other'**_

'_Other? What 'Other'?'_

'_**The one who is not like the others…who is 'not like other people' **_The name rang bells in Sasuke's head, long gone memories flitted past.

_Flashback_

"_Keep away from that boy, he's not safe!" Fugaku said, the Uchiha clan's de facto head, and representative amongst the council, The father of Sasuke and Itachi._

"_But…why?" Sasuke had asked, glancing at the blonde as he skipped rocks across a lake._

"_He's…not like other people…" Fugaku replied sternly, leading his child back towards the Uchiha district._

'…_he's different…is that enough to make him bad?' The young Uchiha had wondered. _

_Flashback end._

'…_Uzumaki…Naruto…'_

'_**Yes, he said himself that he holds great power within him. 'sealed from birth' so to speak' **__The Oni-Zenshin chuckled, causing Sasuke's eyes to widen._

'_He is…different…I to…the last Uchiha…I to am 'different''_

'_**The elder generation remembers the glory of your clan…but this? The next? They will only remember you. And whether or not the clan still lives in shame'**_

'_Then my child would?'_

' "_**There goes the Uchiha-Gaki." "Did you ever meet his father? How useless" "Couldn't even avenge his own clan, after all his hard work" "I guess the Uchiha aren't worth anything after all" "The Uchiha bring calamity wherever they go, better to get rid of him now" "What a worthless child" "What I he turns out like Itachi? Kills us all!"'**_

'_That…I won't let that happen!!'_

'_**How? If you're dead?'**_

"Sasuke!" The dark-haired Uchiha's eyes snapped open, Sharingan blazing.

"**CHIDORI!!!!!" **As he cried out, he thrust his lightning encased fist forward, embedding it to the elbow in the cliff-face before him.

"Sasuke, that's enough. If you kill yourself training, then what will you do?" Kakashi asked, smiling at the youth. Upon hearing the comment, Sasuke's eyes darkened.

"Take a break, you've done well, but there's still a ways to go" The copy-Nin ordered, sending Sasuke back towards the makeshift camp. Sighing, Kakashi brought his copy of Icha-Icha paradise back up to his face.

'_He did Chidori twice…he was at his limit…then…he did a third…three Chidori…and he only got the technique right today…is this the power of an Uchiha? No…there was something wrong with that last Chidori…It didn't…if only I was paying attention! But I could have sworn he was out of chakra…did he? The Curse Seal?'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto slumped back onto the hard rock, not even noticing the pain that flashed through his head. He let out a growl as a bird flew past the moon. The full moon had been and gone, but the moon still retained much of its glory.

"Tsukuyomi no Mikoto (Lord/Prince)…Inari-Daimyojin…Namikaze Minato…Uzumaki Kushina…Kuroi Tsuku…who among you has most claim as my parent?" The blonde wondered aloud, the great expanse of night spread out before him.

"…As a Bijuu…I am the immediate successor to Tsuku-Sama…in a way his son…I am inheriting all that is his…and yet…I am more his child through adoption…in that case Tsukuyomi-Sama and Inari-Sama are…lords? 'Lord of my father is my lord as well'? Or something…but then, they have done more for me than Tou-san or Kaa-san…through the blessings of the Kami, I have power…and though the teachings of Tsuku-sama, I know…do they claim that I am theirs? Never once have they spoken to me…save Tsuku-sama…and he…, he does not look at me like a son…more like his own reflection…something to be made beautiful for his own vanity…" Groaning, Naruto rolled over, tipping his head over the edge of the cliff.

"And you? I am thrice cursed, and thrice blessed through your actions…how much of that did you intend? Did you truly love the village more than your only child…how great was the difference between out value?" The blonde scowled before flipping himself back up, grasping a cleft of the Yondaime's rocky hair for support.

"Every day it seems like the human in me is too weak…when the human in me dies…could you still call me your son then? It would be so easy…I would die…and I would be unleashed as the Kyuubi no Youko to do as I see fit…to protect who I want, and desire what I want…and all of Hi no Kuni would be mine to treasure…would that be too easy? When all the world is but an anthill…would I still care about the ants?" Standing, Naruto turned and faced the edge.

"It's still here…in my mind…I fell from here…I 'died'…knowing that I was expendable and therefore, with my time running out, useless…so I chose to die by my own hand. If they knew…who is it that knows? Kakashi-Sensei…is it like this for you? Have you died a vain and worthless death? How many times? Kage Bunshin…forbidden for a reason I suppose…the worst…the worst is when I 'forget'…In the heat of battle…I forget who is the original, and who is the clone, and I go charging in perfectly willing to sacrifice my life because I know it is 'expendable'…" The blond let out a hollow laugh, before sitting down again.

"No…it is my life-oath, is it not? I will not die until I have become Hokage. I will protect my precious people. I will live a life of no regrets. I will never go back on my word. My 'Nindo'…hey Tou-san? Did you have a Nindo? Heh, from what I've heard of you it was 'be flashy, and be quick', I mean, where's the fun in that? Or was 'fun' not important to you? You did only have one child hehehe, had to of had some fun, ne? You were always smiling in all the photos they've taken of you…or was that just for their sake? 'Nine-o-clock and all's well'? Or maybe you didn't care about all the precaution stuff…just lived life for the moment…'getting the most out of life'? Is that why you where in such a hurry…or was being quick and flashy all you where good at…Kazama Arashi…I'd give anything to see you in a fight, they still talk about it today, you know? 'May cause seizures' I heard once. 'Don't stare directly into it' was another…still, everyone holds you in high regards…then again, everyone holds the Teme in high regards so I guess regards are worthless in the end." Letting out a soft chuckle, Naruto rapped the immovable figure on the head.

It went 'thonk'.

"The Chuunin exam…they say it makes or breaks a ninja…showcased to the world on a silver platter 'here's the menu, make your order please'…and what will I be known as? 'Greater than the Yondaime'? 'Unstoppable'? 'Terror'? 'Demon'? …" Before the blonde could continue, he was interrupted by an abrupt yapping noise as a small white dog ran up to him.

"Eh? Akamaru?" Naruto asked, before suddenly stiffening, realizing the pup's message.

/You swear! You say 'won't die'. What now? Shiro-Hime (White Princess) dying!/

/Where? When?/ He snarled, causing the pup to tremble slightly.

/Same place. Not moved. They say she 'broke'. What do? You swear!/

/Oath will be upheld!/ Junjou Mugen growled, before leaping off into the night.

XXXXXXXX

In the Konohagakure general hospital, there was an eerie silence, one that heralded death.

In the operating theatre, a small group of surgeons where doing all they could to stop that from happening. All that was in their power to keep the small girl before them from slipping away.

Above them, unnoticed, a Kitsune observed the whole seen, his form cloaked by the moon's blessing.

"She's fading fast, I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to hold on"

"Her lungs and heart have been badly damaged, it's a wonder she survived for so long"

"Its no good, The ACE inhibitors are having no effect, the damage is far too extent to heal with Shousen no Jutsu (Art of the Mystical Palm) we're losing her" A doctor said, the glow around his hands fading and growing irregularly.

'_They have failed…I will not! ' _As the surgeons worked frantically, time seemed to slow down…what was once furious now barley even moved…no, it didn't move. Mugen slipped down from his hiding place, landing silently next to a frozen doctor.

'_Seven seconds…I can hold this moment for seven seconds!' _With a grunt, Naruto grabbed a scalpel from a nearby tray and slipped over to Hinata's side. He quickly removed her oxygen mask, and not even pausing for breath tore the scalpel across his wrist, dark red liquid flowing forth from the wound into the dying girl's mouth.

"I offer you my blood so that you may live long and prosper, the blood is my life and my life is eternal, take this sacrifice, live long and prosper. Do…garkh" Naruto grunted as his control waned, the scenery almost seeming to strain against his control.

"Not…"

'_2…1…'_

"_**Die!"**_

There was a flash, and the room was illuminated by a furious red light, burning across the girl's chest. A steam of blood flowed forth from the blonde's wound and into her mouth, defying gravity in its movement. The girl let out a gasp, a single, silent gasp…all in the space of a single moment.

'_0' _Naruto vanished, reappearing on the roof of the hospital. One could argue that he'd never left. Letting out a groan, he collapsed onto his back.

'_It has been done…'_ He smiled, sadly, before arching his back in a fit of pain.

"Grhkkk!!" He bit down on his tongue as his body paid the price. To play with time was nothing something a mortal body could endure, was never meant to endure. Adverse side effects where unavoidable.

The roof around him creaked and groaned, his claws lashing out at anything that he caught eye of, anything to stop the pain. Arms lengthened and grew, bones shifted, and he suspected the sizzling sound was his own brain frying.

And there he stood, a disheveled, old man. His hair bleached with age, and his flesh worn and weathered. He glanced about him and let out a small chuckle…and promptly fell dead.

More pain, more movement, swirling, swirling, everything swirling, and he could swear for a moment, everything tasted orange. But then, it all seemed to 'snap', and he was there again, a blonde, twelve year old boy, panting atop a hospital ceiling.

'_**For tampering with time, and for forming a blood-bond with an unwilling soul, 26 years, four months, two weeks, five days, nine hours, and forty-one minutes have been deducted from your mortal life-span' **_A voice bellowed within his head. He had a feeling whatever it was; he had just woken it up.

"_It was worth it…" _He muttered, the wind carrying his voice. _"Every second…"_

XXXXXXXX

'Naruto' sat in the waiting room across from the operating theatre, his eyes darting from the 'operating' light to the other people seated around him.

'_It is important that Naruto be seen by these people…otherwise they will say 'where were you?' 'You said you would be there!'…Hopefully they won't realize I'm a clone…'_

"…I wonder…just what's going on in there…" Kiba asked, glancing about the room. His furry partner pacing the floor in front of him.

"…There is…much blood…and very little chakra…I'm afraid that's all my brethren can tell me" Shino said, staring intently at the Kikaichu sitting on his finger.

"…At the very least her bastard father could have turned up!" Kurenai swore, glancing at the empty seat beside her.

"I'm sure he would like to be here…" Naruto offered cautiously.

"No, that fool is blind to his own daughter, he'd probably see her dying as 'convenient'"

"Surely.."

"That 'man', if he can even be called that, doesn't even try to hide it. I can't imagine what its like to grow up like that" The crimson eyed woman muttered.

'_This is the life she has before her?' _Naruto wondered to himself. _'Something must be done!'_

There was a 'ding', and the light went out. As the doctor stepped forward, all held their breath until he smiled.

"It's amazing, I don't know how we did it, but we did it. We saved her. She should get a few weeks bed rest, and then she should be right as rain, no adverse side effects whatsoever. I'm telling you, that girl must be blessed by the gods."

'_No…gods do not give out blessing so easily to mortals…but the blessing of a demon…' _Naruto let out a sad smile, before extending it into a full-blown grin.

"Yeah! Go Hinata-Chan!!"

XXXXXXXXXX

_Nothing…there was nothing…everywhere, nothing. An infinite expanse of penultimate nothing. She wasn't even aware of what she stood on anymore._

'_There is nothing…even if I go further there is nothing…there is…no point in going on' In an act of surrender, she collapsed to the ground, where darkness soon claimed her._

_XX_

"_Ah, you're awake" A voice said. It was cheerful, and friendly, yet seemed to hide something dark and sinister._

"_Wha-" She croaked, but her throat seemed to close up on her, neither sound nor air could get past. The man smiled, and offered her a bowl._

"_Eat. You shall yet live" Eyeing the stranger with wide eyes, she quickly grasped the bowl, and poured its contents down her throat; a warm, chunky broth that tasted delicious, even in her current state._

"_Good?" He asked, to which she nodded furiously. "Then drink up, there's plenty" The man smiled, gesturing to a simmering pot beside him. She knew not how long she stayed in that place, eating the man's delicious stew. It never seemed to drain, and she never seemed to lose her hunger. After the umpteenth bowl, he happened to notice him slicing up some meat to add to the both._

"_I must ask, where in this barren land have you found such bountiful game?" She asked the man, to which he smiled._

"_No game. Here, there is nothing. Just you, me, and this blade of mine here" He replied, tossing the blade into the air and catching it, only to cut his hand as he grasped the blade._

"_Such a fickle blade, only ever tastes but a single food" He laughed, but his laughter fell short, and his body collapsed, revealing not a man, but a fox; a gaping wound in its side. The girl realized the contents of the broth and cried out._

"_Why have you done such a thing? Surely it better to just let me die?"_

"_Silly girl" The fox replied. "I have a great plenty of flesh upon my body, and yet, there is only one of you. Better to sacrifice the expendable, lest lose the irreplaceable" The fox laughed, even as his tail drove into the wound yet again._

_XXXXXXXXXXX_

A/N: I am SO sorry for the wait, I have had lots of things to do for a while, my grandparents are on vacation, so my older brother and I have been on our own for a bit, I'll try to update sooner, the same goes for my other story I'll do my best! Once again, sorry.

Naruto's 'time meddling ability'. In folklore, the occasional Kitsune has been attributed to meddling with time and space, yet not very often, so surely then, some sort of restriction has been put in place. 'Gain from loss' so to speak, or perhaps 'the power of sacrifice'. This kind of meddling is not tolerated, and to do so repeatedly would ultimately result in Naruto's mortal death (over 26 years was deducted for a combined offence, most of that was for the time, and said time was only 7 seconds of freeze.) and the price is communicative, he does it again he pays double the price. And, as they say, three strikes, you're out.


End file.
